Double, Double, Love & Trouble
by fergus80
Summary: Rewrite from the end of the episode ‘Unsafe.’ Trying to fix and make sense of the JasonLana storyline. FINISHED
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 1

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

EMAIL: http/webpages. (Jensen)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe' and moving forward.

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: Okay, I'm using this as my way to get my creative side back. It has been gone for way to long. So much personal stuff has gone on that has zapped everything from me, that I need to get back to basics, hence fan fic, to feel productive again. One, forgive me if I don't get some of the background and characters of Smallville right. (Honestly I really don't care about them. This is really going to be a Jason / Lana story. So if the myth, the legend, the backgrounds of everyone else is off… too bad! ;) Also, I'm going to be taking it from a certain point in the show, and changing it from there on out, with parts of the rest of the season added too but changed. If anyone ever read my Eric and Greta story, you'll understand what I mean. Again, forgive me, as it has been a LONG time since I have written anything, so be slightly patient with me. ;) Thanks, and on with the story. Enjoy!

The light danced through the smoke as she blew out the long match. Her nervous eyes glanced around at the few strategically placed candles, as she walked over to the sink, and laid the burnt wood on the white ceramic. Her fingers then came up to unbutton the two top buttons of the large white button down shirt he had mistakenly left behind. Well, really, 'mistakenly left' wasn't actually correct. She had stolen it from him weeks before to have something of his to sleep in while he wasn't around.

She jumped slightly at the knock at the door and took a deep breath, "Come in." She didn't need to turn around, "Jason. You're early."

He paused as he looked around her apartment, a small amount of confusion going through his eyes as he took in his surroundings. Trying to come out of his daze, he answered her question. "Well, I got your message. It sounded like an emergency, so I came as soon as I could."

She could hear the sound of his voice, the questioning in it. She wasn't sure how to start. "This… isn't exactly how I planned it." She turned around from the sink and started to walk over to him from the kitchen.

He took in her state of dress, or lack thereof, and quickly shut the door behind him. She saw him waiting for her to explain, and she took another deep breath, and decided she first needed him to answer one question she had. "I need you to look me in the eyes and tell me that you don't love me."

His jaw clenched, and his eyes darted away from hers. His heart constricted, as he tried to form the words for her own good, but they just wouldn't come. She could see the struggle, she could see the truth, and a small smile formed on her lips. "Then there's no good reason why we shouldn't be together." Her shaking hands moved to the remaining buttons on the shirt. Her fingers slowly exposing more and more flesh and cleavage.

Jason stared, mesmerized by the site in front of him, and then suddenly realized what was happening, but most importantly, why. He quickly walked over to her, and took her hands, feeling her quick pulse under his fingertips. "Okay… I'm gonna stop you." He closed his eyes and took a slow breath, "Not that I wouldn't love for this to happen, but it… can't. I mean…" He shook his head, "Not like this."

"I don't understand," she said quickly, looking up at him. Her nervousness gone, now replaced with more questions and slight anger at being rejected for unknown reasons. He let go of her wrists and moved around her. Her body turned with him, watching him walk away, "I thought that you broke up with me because…"

He slumped his shoulders, and looked at the ground, "Okay, all right, um… I haven't been completely honest with you."

She got a huge lump in her throat but managed to choke out her accusation, "There's someone else."

If only it was that easy, he thought to himself. He turned around to look at her again, "No," shaking his head. "No."

Her head tilted to the side and she moved towards him, "Then what is it, Jason? Why did you just walk out on this relationship?" On me, she continued in her own mind.

How could he even attempt to explain this. He sighed, "Because I don't think we met by accident. I think that my mother arranged it."

Lana shook her head, "How is that even possible?"

Possible? Possible? With all the strange things that went on in this town, was it really that far fetched? "My mother was the one who convinced me to go to Paris in the first place. She said that I would be someone special. At the time I just thought she was being romantic. You know… Paris and all." He shook his head to stop the sidetrack. "The point is, I did, you," he said looking into her eyes. "But then everything started happening, that tattoo, and Isobel's tomb, and the spell book. None of it made any sense." He threw up his hand, "Until you saw my mother in your nightmare about Isobel being burned at the stake."

She cut him off, "No, that was just a bad dream, that's all."

He shook his head, "With everything that has gone on, you are just going to write that off as coincidence? Maybe it was your subconscious connecting the dots. Either way, I didn't want my mother to use me to get close to you, so, uh…"

Her hands went to the sides of his face, "Jason, whatever's going on, it doesn't change the way that I feel about you."

He wanted to give in, believe her, believe that it would be okay, but the fear still lurked in his heart as he hugged her back and agreed, "Yeah."

She felt the sigh, and she looked back up into his eyes. "You love me. I love you." She saw his eyes dance with emotion in front of her confirming what she had said. "If she has plans to do anything, they won't change if you are with me or not."

"But if we aren't together, she, or whoever, can't use me or you against each other to…"

She cut him off again, "They will still be able to use it." His confusion made her smile, "Being apart, doesn't mean the feelings, the worry, the… everything isn't still there. We just let them win."

His eyes softened, she was right. How much more had he been worrying about her when he couldn't see for himself that she was okay? His hand came up to caress the side of her face. "You're right." His head tilted back down, his forehead resting against hers, as their lips met in a gentle kiss. He felt her arms wrap around his neck, pulling him in closer, deepening the kiss for him.

He sighed letting her soft form mold to his body, and then he moaned pulling away from her remembering what she was wearing. She groaned as he pulled away. "You have to get dressed."

"Why?" she asked a little too suggestively.

"Lana… I know you really aren't ready for anything more." She was about to protest, and he took her hands again. "It's okay. Really."

"Jason, come on. You're in college. You can't tell me that you don't want to."

He smiled, "Oh, I want to. Trust me, but that's not the point."

"Then, what is?"

"Lana, you were only doing this to get me back. Not because you wanted to." He saw her about to object, "I saw your hands shaking."

She looked down, "Was I that obvious?"

"Yeah," he smiled. His hand tilted her chin up. "Seriously, when YOU are ready. Not until."

Lana sighed, "That's the thing. I don't know why I'm not." She saw the puzzled look and continued. "I mean. I love you. You love me." He smiled, as his thumb caressed the side of her face. "I'm over 18. I'm not waiting till I'm married." She almost laughed at the look of relief on his face. "I just… I don't…"

He nodded, "I know… you just aren't attracted to me."

"What?" She was shocked he would think that, "Jason… are you crazy? I mean, the things that go through my mind when I look at you," she was starting to blush at all the thoughts, "My body just…" and then she saw the amusement in his eyes and she hit his shoulder, and he started to laugh. "Why you little!"

He took her wrists so she couldn't hit him, and pulled her close to his chest, "So Miss Lane, what exactly are these thoughts?"

"Like I'm going to tell you now." He gave her his classic pout, "Oh no. That's won't work." He added the sad eyes, and she shook her head. "You're horrible."

"And you love it."

She let out a slight huff, and he hugged her against him. She sighed and continued with the earlier topic, "I really don't know why I'm not ready. Maybe I'm just making it into a huge deal, and thinking it has to be perfect. So I'm worried that it won't be. I just… I…"

"Lana." She stopped and looked up at him. "I hate to tell you this." His fingertips brushed some hair behind her ear. "It won't be perfect. First times, no matter if both people have had sex before or not, are far from perfect." His fingers intertwined with hers. "But really, it's not about being perfect is it? It's about expressing something between two people. Perfect happens sometime later when you are completely comfortable with each other…"

She cut him off, "So how are you just to wise about all this?" She saw him swallow hard, "How many first times have you had with someone else?"

"Ummm…" He sighed, "I've been with a few people."

She gave him a look, "Define a 'few'." She saw him wiggle, "Mr. Teague! At least give me a ballpark figure."

He laughed, "Definitely less than a ballpark." Her eyes grew wide. "I'm JOKING!" She hit him again, and he laughed harder, "Well not that it makes it better. But in my defense, I was a… well… I… I did very well in high school football." She saw his look, "I know, I know, not a great defense, BUT, I did learn after I got hurt, that there was more too it. I learned what was important."

She nodded, and smiled, "You're still evading the question." She saw him squirm. "Okay, how many since this great discovery?"

"Two."

She could accept that, but her curiosity was still getting her, "Before?"

"Lannnnnaaaaa." She raised an eyebrow at his whining. He sighed, "I don't want to say it like this. I know that at one time you were a cheerleader…"

Her eyes got bigger, "The WHOLE cheerleading team?"

"No!" He yelled and she let out a breath. He continued in a smaller voice, "The freshman squad was way too young."

"Jason!" She pulled away from him in disbelief.

"Hey! I never said I was proud of it."

"Do you know how dangerous… how…"

"Lana… I'm clean." She turned back towards him. "I may have been a little crazy, but I was careful. And, I made sure to get checked out."

He took her hand, "Please don't hold my activities as a hormonal teenager against me now. Don't they say it takes longer for boys to mature than women?" He watched her eyes start to sparkle in amusement.

She smiled up at him, and her hand came up to touch the side of his face and run through his hair. "I love you."

He shook his head, "Where did that come from?"

She grinned, "You just always have a way to make me smile. To take something and turn it around."

"I try," he barely got out as she leaned up and kissed him.

She then pulled away, and looked back up at him, "Okay. Then that's that."

"What's what?" He was totally confused.

"I've made my decision."

He swallowed, "And that is?"

"Stop worrying about perfect. We'll just go for it, when I feel… comfortable."

"Go for it, huh?"

She laughed, "Yep. Do you think you'll be up for it when I'm ready?"

He bit his lip and tried not to laugh, "An interesting choice of words my dear."

Her cheeks started to blush as she got his meaning, "I… uh… ummm…"

He pulled her in close. "Don't worry. I can guarantee that I will be 'up' for it whenever you are." She just shook her head, and tried to respond, but his lips claimed hers before she could.

To Be Continued. Please Review


	2. Chapter 2

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 2 

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80) 

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate) 

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.' 

SPOILERS: Everything! 

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc. And 'Pretty Woman' belongs to Roy Orbison, etc. 

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:) 

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen! 

RANT: If you can't tell. I'm basically filling in the missing scenes. Correcting some of the really annoying parts. And then hopefully a more plausible and interesting idea. Things will happen like in the show, but changed slightly. 

Her arms wrapped around him from behind, "Come on."

"I can't," he whined back, "I HAVE to study."

"Just one song, and then you can be with your books all night," she said into his ear, and then left a soft kiss behind it. Followed by another and another and…

"If you keep that up, I won't be studying or going downstairs." His arms came back, grabbed her around the middle and swung her around onto his lap. She started giggling until his lips caught hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into his chest.

She pulled away reluctantly, and looked at him with big eyes, "Pleaseeeeee."

He sighed heavily, "You KNOW I can't say no to that."

She smiled and jumped up from his lap, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the door. "I know." He followed with heavy feet, "Oh stop," she said as she got the door open. "It will be fun."

Jason followed her out the door of her apartment and towards the steps. The music, and off key singing from below caught his ears and he cringed. "Oh, yeah, it will be a riot."

She rolled her eyes, and once they got to the bottom step, she looked around for a table. She saw a wave out of the corner of her eyes, and waved back. She pulled harder on his arm, directing him to her new destination.

"So you finally got him away from the text books," yelled the blonde over the music in the background.

Lana nodded, "It wasn't easy. I had to use a LOT of persuasion."

Lois raised an eyebrow and Chloe looked up at Jason, "Exactly what did she do?"

He smiled, "I cannot say." He took the last seat at the table, and pulled Lana down on his lap for a place to sit. "I wouldn't want to put a question into anyone's mind about this young lady's virtue."

Lana's mouth dropped open and she hit his chest, "JASON!" He smirked back at her. Chloe and Lois just laughed. She shook her head, "Okay, for that, you OWE me a song."

His eyes got wide. "What?" She stood up and pointed at the stage as the last singer was just getting down.

He shook his head, "Oh no."

"Oh, yes."

"No."

"Yes!" she said, and stomped her foot.

"Oh, no!"

Lois and Chloe looked back and forth at them as if it was a tennis match.

"You can apologize by singing for me."

"Can't I just say I'm sorry. I am… I am sorry. I WAS just JOKING. Seriously." He looked at the other two girls. "I'm weak… Seriously. A kiss on the cheek is all." They rolled their eyes at him. He saw they would be no help, and he looked back up at her. "You're serious." She nodded. He sighed. "IF I sing, then you will forgive me." She nodded again. "All I have to do is go up there and sing a song." Another nod. "Any song?" Again, a nod. "Fine." She smiled in triumph as he stood up. She plopped down in his chair. He turned and leaned back down to her, "Just remember… YOU asked for it."

Her eyes got wide, and she swallowed, "Oh no."

"Oh, I HAVE to see this," Lois said as she turned around to the stage.

Jason walked up the steps and looked through the list. Finally he found what he was looking for. He selected the song and then looked back out into the crowd. He put the microphone up near his mouth. "This is for my lady," he said holding out his hand towards Lana. The music started to play, shook her head, and a reluctant smile sprung to her lips as she watched him start to move with the beat. She knew he was going to take it to the extreme just to embarrass her. The only problem… she couldn't get the smile off her face.

"Pretty womannnn, walkin' down the street. Pretty womannnn, the kind I'd like to meetttt. Pretty womannnn, I don't believe you, you're not the truth. No one could look as good as youuuuu." He smiled at her, paused, and then added with an Elvis like curl to his lip, "MERCY…"

She hid her face in her hands as he continued. "Pretty womannnn, won't you pardon me. Pretty womannn, I couldn't help but see. Pretty womannn… And you look lovely as can be, are you lonelyyy just like meeeee?" Her eyes peaked out through her fingers and he winked at her, and then let out a "Roooowwwwrrrrrr" The crowd went wild. Lois and Chloe each let out squeals and grinned over at their tablemate. Lana shook her head, and rubbed her forehead, but she could not get that damn silly grin off her face.

"Pretty womannn, stop a while. Pretty womannn, talk a while. Pretty woman, give your smile to meeeee. Pretty woman, yeah, yeah, yeah. Pretty woman look my way. Pretty woman say you'll stay with meeeeEEEEE." She shook her head at him, and he just smiled back and belted the song out louder. "Cause I need you, I'll treat you right. Come with me baby, me mine tonighhhhhiiiiiitttttttt." He gave her a wink, and her cheeks turned a brighter shade of pink.

"Pretty woman, don't walk on by. Pretty woman, don't make me cry." He wiped away a fake tear. "Pretty woman don't walk awayyyyyyyaaaaahhhh." He move the microphone into his other hand. "Yeah, ok… If that's the way it must be… okay." He gave a small pout. "I guess I'll go on home. Its late, maybe tomorrow night…" He raised an eyebrow at her. "But wait… What do I see?… Is she walking back to meeeeeeee? Yeahhhhhhhh She's walking back to meeeeee. Wooooaaaaahhhh! Oooooooooohhhh! Pretty Woman!"

The crowd cheered. Jason sat down the microphone and skipped down the stage back to the table with the girls. Chloe and Lois stood up and each gave him a high five. "Nice job!" Lois told him.

"Thanks," he replied as he looked over to his beet-faced girlfriend.

Lois grabbed Chloe's hand. "Next."

Chloe's eyes got wide, "What?"

"Our turn," she said pulling the blonde out of her seat and towards the stage to pick a song.

The two of them arguing faded into the distance as Jason motioned to the waitress for two drinks. He grabbed one of the empty chairs and pulled it up next to the brunette. She hit his shoulder as he sat down. "What?" he asked as if he didn't know.

"Don't give me that."

His grin got bigger. He put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "If you hated it so much, why are you still smiling." She tried to think of something, but she only sputtered. "Do you know how cute you are when you are flabbergasted?" Her mouth opened, but he caught it in a kiss. She leaned into it, only to pull away when their drinks arrived. They each took their own drink and turned back to the stage to watch the girls each take a microphone as the music started.

The girls started singing 'I Love Rock and Roll." It doesn't take long and they both get really into it. Chloe starts dancing and belts out the song at the top of her lungs. Lois flirts with one of the guys in the crowd. Both Lana and Jason take a few more sips and smile back watching the girls have a blast on stage.

The door to the Talon opens. Another couple walks in holding hands. Lana feels the slight draft, and takes a quick peek. Her whole body shudders, but not from the cold. Jason felt her tense next to him, and he followed her gaze. Chloe and Lois notice the shocked looks on their friend's faces, and look as well. Their voices stop abruptly.

Not realizing that her microphone is still on, Lois looked at Chloe and spoke, "First he married the girl, now he's dating her?" A small squeal from the microphone rings through the now quiet room.

"That was subtle, Lois," her cousin responded.

Alicia and Clark look at each other and then at the silent crowd uneasily.

Lana dropped her head, and then turned back to Jason. "I think I've seen enough for one night." She stood up quickly and headed back to the stairs. Alicia broke apart from Clark and followed her. Jason gets to his feet and follows the girls with Clark right behind him.

"Lana, wait." She turned towards the blond. "I just want to apologize."

Lana laughs, "For what?" she asked her angrily, "Trying to kill me or not succeeding?"

"Look, all I want is a chance to prove to you who I really am."

"You already have," Lana spat out at her, turned and retreated up the stairs.

The guys make it to Alicia. Jason stopped in front of the stairs. Turning back towards Clark. He doesn't acknowledge the female as he speaks, "I can't believe you brought her here."

"Jason, listen…"

He didn't want to hear it. "Listen to what? Another apology?" Alicia turned away from them and walked out of the Talon. Jason barely watches her go and then stares back at Clark. "You think just 'cause she says she's better that everything's gonna be okay? Come on, man." He shakes his head and bounds up the stairs to go check on Lana.

To Be Continued. 

Please Review 


	3. Chapter 3

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 3  
WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)  
RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)  
SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'  
SPOILERS: Everything!  
DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.  
FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)  
DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!  
RANT: Sorry I'm not writing as quickly as I used to. Real life really does not give you much time! But I am trying.

He opened the door to her apartment and actually wasn't happy it was not locked. But then again with what he had heard about Alicia, a locked door wouldn't have stopped her. He saw her jump at the sound of the door closing behind him. "Lana…" he said softly. She turned around and his heart broke at her tear stained face.

He quickly walked the few steps it took to get to her. She almost collapsed into his arms. Warm drops of water soaked his shirt as his arms held her. His hands caressed the back of her head. He mumbled comforting words into her ear as he rocked her lightly back and forth.

She sniffed into his chest, and then shook her head trying to clear it. She swallowed hard and pulled her head back to look up at him. "Thanks."

He put a few strands of hair behind her ear. "No need. Do you want to talk about…" He didn't need to finish because she nodded and pulled him towards the couch. He sat down, and she curled up next to his side, laying her head on his chest, her legs out to the side. His arm came out around her, holding her to him. His other took hold of her other hand. They sat there for a few minutes, just each looking at their intertwined fingers. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head.

She took a deep breath. "I don't know."

He looked down at her quizzically, "You don't know… what exactly?"

Lana turned her head up towards him, "I don't know… how I am I supposed to feel. I… I…" She just shook her head at her frustration.

"You don't have to know," he replied.

She sat up on the couch next to him. "I'm… afraid." She said and quickly wiped a tear away. He squeezed her hand. "I'm… upset. I'm… I'm…" She stood up and started to pace, "I'm really... Really… Angry!"

Jason got up from the couch, standing to the side, watching her go back and forth. "You have every right to be."

"Yeah!" She agreed with him. "I mean… how dare he!" She stopped and looked at him. "He's supposed to be my friend! And he brings HER here."

He was slightly glad she had used the word 'friend' in her reference to Clark. Otherwise… He stopped that train of thought. This was about Lana right now.

"Is he insane?" she asked. She just couldn't fathom what was going on. She turned to Jason, "Does she have some weird spell over him or something where he has just lost his mind completely?" Before he could even answer. "Do women just turn men into total morons?"

He had to stop this quickly otherwise he knew somehow he would get the brunt of this. His hands came out to lightly hold her shoulders. "Lana. I will admit that men do have a weakness for women…" He could see her start to talk. "BUT it doesn't give HIM an excuse to hurt someone he is supposed to care about. You have every right to be angry, and upset." She nodded in agreement. He moved closer and looked her in the eyes as her pulled her closer, "Just like you have every right to be afraid." She swallowed. "And it's perfectly normal to try and mask that fear with anger."

She wrapped her arms around him and hid her face back into his chest, her words shuddering into his chest as she spoke, "Make it go away."

He held her tighter, "If there was any way that I could, I would."

She nodded and knew he would, "Just don't let go."

"I'm not going anywhere." He guided her back to the couch. She again leaned into him as they held onto each other quietly, taking in the comfort of just being there for each other.

After awhile Lana slowly sat up, and Jason watched her carefully. "I'm going to take a shower," she said as she stood up.

He nodded his okay and rose behind her. He headed to the table and his books, "I'll be right here," he said as he sat down.

Her arms wrapped around him from behind, "Or you could join me."

He turned his head around to look at her, "Excuse me?"

She smiled at him, "I asked if you wanted to join me."

He studied her face, trying to see if she was teasing him, but there was no indication that she was. "Lana… you don't mean this." He could see her about ready to object, but he turned in his chair and took her hand. "With everything that has happened tonight I would have to seriously question your intentions… your reasons for wanting to…" He left it hanging. He moved his thumb over the back of her hand. "It won't make you forget what happened. It won't make you feel safe. If anything it would make it worse."

She shook her head, "How would being so close to someone I love make it worse?"

He smiled at her, and brought her hand to his heart, "We are close. But sex… it makes people very… vulnerable… especially the first…" He didn't need to go on, he could see he had gotten through to her. His hand came to the side of her face. "Now go take that shower. Let me study. I'll be right here."

She grinned back at him, "Okay." She pulled away and started to walk to the bathroom, "One of these days Mr. Teague you better not play hard to get." He shook his head at her as he started to page through his book.

Lana walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. She peeled off her clothes and pulled on her bathrobe. She needed to relax. She opened one of the cupboards and took out a few aromatherapy candles and lit them, placing them strategically around the bathroom. Slowly she could smell the room fill with the soft, relaxing sent. She turned the shower on, walked over to the door, turned down the lights to a soothing level, and as an afterthought locked the door.

Jason heard the door lock and gave a small smile. Yeah, and she thought she was ready, he thought as he turned another page.

She pulled back the clear curtain, checking the temperature of the water and then got inside. Turning to wet her hair, her body shivered slightly. She looked around trying to figure out where the breeze had come from. She shook her head, trying to dismiss it and leaned her face into the jet of hot water.

A scream barely escapes her lips as the shower curtain pulled away from the rod and wrapped around her tightly, cutting off her air supply. She struggled, trying to remove the plastic, trying to gasp for air. The attempts were in vein. After a few moments she passed out and fell into the tub.

Jason's head sprung up from his studies, as a loud thump is heard from the bathroom. He jumped up from his set and ran to the door trying to open it. "Lana?" he asked with worry in his voice. With no answer he kicked the door open and entered the bathroom. His eyes widened in panic and he ran to the tub. He fell to his knees next to Lana lying in the tub with the curtain wrapped around her, the water running down onto her. "Lana?" he said again.

Still with no answer, he quickly turned the water off, leaned into the tub pulling her into a seated position. Her head rolled backwards, his hand came to the side of her face, "Lana? Hey, can you hear me?" His other hand grabbed her shoulder. "Lana? Lana. LANA, look at me."

She still wasn't responding. Quickly he stood and pulled her body out of the tub, laying her on the floor. His fingers went to her neck, his held breath leaving him as he found a pulse. He leaned down to her mouth, and felt her soft breath on his cheek. Partial relief rushed through him. He looked around and found her bathrobe and laid it over her.

Gently he raised her head and upper body from the floor. "Lana…" His hand moved back to the side of her face. "Lana come on, wake up." Her eyelashes started to flicker. "Yes, that's it. Open your eyes." Her dark eyes slowly opened. "Thank God." He said and kissed her forehead.

"What…"

He shook his head, "I don't know, I was hoping you could tell me." He said as he carefully helped her to her feet, and somehow managed to get the shower curtain off her without seeing anything he shouldn't. She was wobbly as she tried to tie the robe around her. He tied it for her, and before she could do anything she found herself in his arms, and being carried out of the apartment.

"Jason…"

"We're going to the hospital. No arguments."

She really didn't have a choice, because in less than a minute they were already out of the Talon, and she was being placed in his passenger seat. The buildings and lights flew by the window of the car. She saw the worried look on his face as he talked into his phone, and glanced over at her numerous times. And while it seemed like things were moving it slow motion, thing were also moving very quickly. Before she knew it a nurse and Jason were helping her into a wheel chair. Her mind was still a jumble as she slowly got onto the examining table, and the nurse was pushing Jason out of the room. "No…"

They turned towards her. "I'll be outside, let the nurse look at you." He told her as the door shut behind him. The nurse came towards her pulling the curtain around them and then started to help her into a hospital gown.

Jason walked out of the room and moved over to the wall, leaning heavily against it. His heart was still going a mile a minute. Panic still washing through his veins. Running footsteps made him look up and see Chloe and Lois rushing towards him.

"How is she?" the blond asked.

"Conscious, but other than that…" He ran a shaky hand through his hair.

Lois laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. The three of them looked into the exam room as the nurse pulled the curtain back, and started to take Lana's vital signs. He attempted to give her a comforting smile.

The girls turned back to him, "What happened?"

He tried to tell them what he could. Problem was, he really had no idea what actually did happen. "And I brought her here…" He finished as the nurse poked her head out of the room.

"Mr. Teague?"

"Yes?" He moved towards her.

"Could you come in? She's a little…"

He didn't let her finish and was walking into the room. Lana's hand latched onto his and he leaned down resting his cheek on the top of her head. "I'm right here," he said softly. A few moments later the doctor walked in to start his own examination after he consulted the nurse.

Lana looked up at Jason. "Chloe and Lois are here if you want…" She shook her head, and squeezed his hand. He touched the side of her face, "You're going to have to let go when the Doctor takes a look at you." As the nurse walked out of the room and the doctor moved towards her, she took a deep breath and let go of Jason's hand. He moved around behind her as the doctor started to ask questions and look into her eyes.

A few moments later he saw Lana sit up straighter as she looked out the window into the hall. His eyes followed her gaze and saw Clark talking to the girls. Lana turned from the window. Her eyes went to Jason's in a silent request. He squeezed her shoulder lightly and moved towards the door.

He walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. He stood in front of Clark's view into the room. His jaw clenching, "Clark. Lana doesn't want to see you."

Clark tried to look around Jason, and he moved himself into his line of sight once more, blocking Lana. "What part of she doesn't want to SEE YOU, don't you get?"

"I'm worried about her."

"Oh really. You bring a girl that tried to KILL her basically to the place that she LIVES, and you are worried about her?" Jason shook his head.

Lois looked at the two men and made a quick decision. "Hey, Smallville, how about we go to the cafeteria and get some coffee."

"I don't want…"

"Sure ya do," she grabbed his arm and pulled him in the other direction.

Jason mouthed his thanks to her. She nodded as she pulled Clark around the corner.

Chloe patted him on the shoulder, "I'll stand guard. Now get back in there."

"Thanks," he said as he took at deep breath and walked back inside with the best smile he could put on his face.

To be continued...

Please Review


	4. Chapter 4

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 4  
WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)  
RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)  
SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'  
SPOILERS: Everything!  
DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.  
FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)  
DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!  
RANT: Sorry I'm not writing as quickly as I used to. Real life really does not give you much time! But I am trying.

A few hours later they were back at the Talon, and Jason was opening the door to Lana's apartment. He could feel her uneasiness behind him as he walked in first, his eyes scanning the place to make sure everything was okay. But then again when the person trying to kill you could just appear out of thin air, there really wasn't any point.

He turned around and wrapped a protective arm around her. "It's late. Let's try and get you some sleep."

They walked into the room together, and she looked up at him with big eyes, "Me? What about you?" Then her eyes caught his books still sitting on the table. "Oh, Jason. I'm sorry, I know you need to study for…"

He cut her off, it was honestly the last thing on this mind. He had totally forgotten. "No. No. That's not what I meant. And you do NOT need to be sorry at all." He kissed the top of her head as they moved back towards her bed. "I'm fine. You need to rest. I was just going to…"

She smiled, "You were just going to stay up and watch over me."

He tilted her chin up with his hand, and he looked deep into her eyes. "Do you have any idea how much you scared me tonight?"

Her hand came up and ran though his hair. She did know, she could see it in his eyes. "I know. But trust me. It wasn't something I planned."

He smiled, "I would hope not." She grinned back at him. Then he pushed her lightly towards her dresser. "Hurry up and change so I can tuck you in," he winked at her.

She twirled her finger in a circle, motioning for him to turn around. He quickly turned, and heard her opening the drawers and the rustling of clothes. In moments he heard her bed squeak, and a small, "Okay."

He smiled, toed off his shoes, and jumped in next to her. But she shook her head at him. "What?"

"Get up."

He stood up with a weird look on his face.

"Go get your books."

"I know you don't want to be here alone…"

She shook her head, "I didn't say I did. Trust me. Just go get your books, and bring them back here. You can read. I can sleep." He nodded, went and got two books, his notes, and a highlighter. He sat down, put his feet up, and opened one of the books, setting the rest on the nightstand.

Lana crawled under the sheets and leaned over to him. He gave her a soft kiss, "Good night." He said softly.

"Night," she replied with a small yawn. She turned over and moved her back up along side his body. Her legs and feet came back and wrapped around his one leg.

He looked at her, his one hand moving from the book now supported on his chest to her hair. He pushed a few strands behind her ear, and then lightly caressed the side of her face.

"If you keep doing that, I won't fall asleep," she mumbled sleepily.

"Sorry," he whispered, and went back to reading.

The light started to seep into her brain and she struggled against it. She didn't want to wake up. She was way to comfortable. But something was tugging at her brain. Nagging her. She slowly opened one eye, to find her head resting on a nice, firm chest. An arm was wrapped around her. Her leg claimed her bedmates knee. She smiled at the sweet peaceful look on his face, and then almost laughed at the large highlighter streak on his cheek.

Then she sat up straight in bed, looking at the clock, waking her partner up with a start in the process.

"What? What's wrong," he asked her instantly. His arms going to her shoulders, worry in his voice.

"The time!"

His head spun around looking at the clock. "Shit." They both jumped out of bed. She quickly got dressed as he put his shoes on and packed up his backpack. When she was grabbing her coat and keys he stopped, and took her hand. "Wait."

"Jason. What? I have to get to school. You have to get to your exam."

"I can't leave you alone. I..."

Her fingers went over the side of his face, and she leaned up and kissed him. "Drop me off at school. Tons of people are there. You can pick me up after your test. I'll be okay."

"You sure?" He really hated the idea.

"I'm positive. Now we HAVE to go!" She said as she pulled him out the door behind her.

"I've got an idea. How about you come to the library with me? Tons of books to look at..." He said as he leaned against the bar of the Talon.

She rolled her eyes. "As much fun as that sounds, I have my own homework to do."

"But you see, that's why it's perfect. A very QUIET library for doing homework."

She shook her head, "Not happening."

"Lana, I need to go to work on my history paper. With everything that has happened..." He trailed of looking at her determined.

She looked back at him just as seriously but with a smile, "Jason, don't be ridiculous. I'll be fine for a few hours."

He looked at the almost empty coffee house. Only Martha was there cleaning up, and she would be done any moment. He turned back to Lana, "You do realize that you were attacked in your own apartment behind a locked door." He hated to remind her of it, but he wanted it to sink in. "You want me to just leave you alone and spend an evening digging through the university's microfiche? No."

She shook her head, "Well, I am not going to let you flunk history."

The door to the shop opened, and Clark walked in. His eyes traveled over to the couple at the bar. He tried not to see their affectionate banter, and turned to his mother, "Mom, ready to go?"

Martha turned from Clark and looked back to Jason. "Why don't Clark and I stay with Lana?"

Lana and Clark exchanged an awkward look. Jason hesitated and looked from Lana back to the other man. He didn't like the offer, not one bit. But Lana answered for him, "I think that that is a great idea." She playfully shoved Jason his jacket. "Go. I'll be FINE."

He saw the determined look on her face, and knew he wouldn't win. "All right," he told her and grabbed hold of the jacket she has pinned to his chest. He turned to Clark and adds, "I won't be long." He then headed out the back door to the alley.

He walked down the back alley, and pulled his keys out of his pocket in the process. He pressed the button on the key ring. A beep from the car singled that it had been disarmed. He quickly got inside and closed the door. His eyes quickly glanced at the mirror and nto the backseat. Then he turned and put his keys into the ignition. Looking back up he noticed that the rearview mirror was crooked. Slightly confused, and shaking off the slight concern he straightened the mirror. As he started to turn the key a scarf was thrown over his head and wraps around his neck.

His hand immediately went up trying to stop the thing from choking him. He tried to gasp for air, as the scarf is pulled tighter and tighter around his neck. He then frantically started to pound on the horn of his car with his other hand.

His fist kept honking the horn even has his brain was starting to get cloudy from lack of oxygen, but the next thing he knew the glass was breaking on his passenger side window and the scarf immediately went limp. He took a big gasp of air, then looked around the car. It was empty as his eyes went back to the other window revealing Clark standing there.

Jason's hand went to his neck, rubbing the soreness, as his other pulled the fabric away from him. Running footsteps could be heard rushing down the alleyway. The two men turned to see Lana and Martha rushing to the car. "Clark?" Martha questioned as Lana ran to the other side of the car, quickly opening the door.

"Jason. Jason... what happened? Are you okay?" Her hands immediately went to the red marks on his neck as he slowly got out of the car.

"I'm fine," his voice cracked. She wrapped her arms around him and he looked over the car to Clark.

"Did you see anyone?" The other man shook his head. He took the green scarf and held it up, "Look familiar?" he asked accusingly.

Lana looked up at him, "We'll figure this out later. First I want a doctor to take a look at you."

"Lana..." he started to whine.

"Don't argue with me."

He sighed and nodded. Clark and Martha helped them quickly clear the glass from his broken window. Lana grabbed his keys and shoved him into the passenger seat as she drove his car to the hospital.

To Be Continued

Please Review


	5. Chapter 5

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 5  
WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)  
RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)  
SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'  
SPOILERS: Everything!  
DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.  
FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)  
DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!  
RANT: Sorry I'm not writing as quickly as I used to. Real life really does not give you much time! But I am trying.

"I'm okay, really."

"Uh huh. Sure. That's why your neck is turning more purple by the second."

He tried not to smile at the concerned look on her face and the fact that she wasn't exactly following all the traffic laws. But then again less than twenty four hours ago he was doing the exact same thing with her.

He sighed as he wondered why they couldn't just have a normal, stress free relationship. Heck a normal, stressful relationship would be better than worry about getting killed every few seconds. Before he could ponder that thought any longer they were pulling up at the hospital. Lana was rushing over to the other side, but Jason got out of the car and stood up. "Don't even think of getting me a wheelchair."

She relented but still put an arm around him helping him into the building. As they got up to the desk the nurse turned to them and Lana spoke quickly, "My boyfriend was just attacked. They tried to strangle him. I need someone to take a look at him, and we need to talk to the police."

The nurse took a look at Jason, and then shoved a clipboard and papers at them, "Fill this out. Take a seat. We'll call you."

Lana's eyes went wide. "I just told you he was ATTACKED, we need to…" Jason patted her shoulder and pulled her towards the waiting area. "Jason…" She questioned as she followed. They avoided a nurse wheeling a pregnant woman screaming down the fall, and two paramedics bringing in a man with his leg bleeding and twisted at a very odd angle.

"Lana… I think I can wait." He sat down, took the pin from the clip, and started to write.

She looked around at the other chaos, then back at him. She took a deep breath, and realized he was right. She put an arm around his back, and leaned her head on his shoulder while he filled out the papers.

He felt her relax against him and gave a small smile. He was almost done with the paperwork when a voice started both of them. "Mr. Teague."

"Yes," he replied instantly as he looked up at Sheriff Adams and a nurse standing beside her.

"Let's move you into an exam room so that we can talk." She turned to Lana, "Miss Lang, would you come with us?"

"Definitely," she replied standing up with Jason and following the other two back into the hospital.

He took a seat on the exam table, and Lana helped him get his sweatshirt and t-shirt off. The nurse started to take his vitals.

"When the report came in, I decided to come over myself because of the possible connection with this attack and the one last night on Miss Lang."

They both nodded back at her, and Lana continued. "Alicia needs to be…"

Sheriff Adams stopped her, "Miss Baker did not do this."

"What?" Both replied at the same time.

"She was with me at the station answering questions when this attack happened."

They looked at each other not knowing what to say. Jason looked down and rubbed his forehead. He didn't want to think about all the possibilities of who was responsible now.

The sheriff continued, "Okay, why don't you tell me exactly what happened."

Jason sighed. How do you tell someone that 'nothing' had tried to choke him to death?

They each related their story to her, and she left to make the report and take a look at the car in the parking lot. The doctor came in soon afterwards to take a look at him. Luckily nothing was wrong. He would have some bruising, as was already the case, but everything else was okay. The doctor left to finish the chart.

Jason stood up from the table, and before he could move Lana gave him a big hug. "See, I said I was okay."

"I know. But we needed to make sure." She looked up into his eyes, as his arms came around her. Her cheek rested on his bare chest. "So if it's not Alicia…"

"I don't know. But I guess it's one person we can check off of the huge list of people out to get us."

"That's not funny."

He sighed, "I know." He gave her a squeeze and she straightened up and pulled away.

"I'm going to go and get you checked out of here while you get dressed."

He nodded, but as she started to walk to the door his arm reached for her wrist and pulled her back. He gave her a quick kiss, "Thank you."

She smiled back, and reached up to his face with her fingertips. "I love you." She said simply in explanation.

He leaned his forehead against hers and gave a soft smile, "I know. Love you too."

Jason let her wrist go, and watched her walk out of the room. He took a deep breath, which still scratched at his throat and then moved over to grab his clothes. He pulled on his t-shirt and then started with his sweatshirt as the door to the room opened. He was about ready to ask what she forgot when the smell of expensive perfume and the sound of heels hit him. He sighed as he turned around adjusting his shirt. "Mom, what are you doing here?"

"I had to come to make sure my son was all right." She said sounding worried as she hugged him and continued, "I phoned Dr. Martin on the way here. He can see you today."

Jason pulled away from her clearly annoyed by her display of affection. "I'm fine. I've been hurt worse in football."

Genevieve continued acting concerned, "Well, it never hurts to get a second opinion from a 'real' doctor."

He tried not to roll his eyes. "Let it go, Mom," he said as he picked his watch up and put it on his wrist.

"It's just hard to see you suffering here by yourself. You'd at least think your girlfriend would be here."

And she ties to twist the knife he thought. "You really want to play that game?" he said as he remembers all the times she was never there for him.

"This is not a game, Jason. This is you life. And I'm worried about the path you're heading down."

He shook his head, "Oh, you mean the path you sent me down?"

She acted confused, "What are you talking about?"

"Lana." He paused waiting to get something from her. "The girl you made sure I met in Paris."

"Are you serious?" she looked at him like he had gone crazy. "I mean, how could anyone maneuver two people meeting and falling in love in Paris?"

Just then the doors opened, and both people turned to see Lana enter. She stoped at seeing the other woman, "Mrs. Teague. Um… I didn't know you were here."

Genevieve looked at the young lady slightly perturbed that she had been wrong. "Well, come in, Lana. We were just talking about you. Did, uh, Jason share his matchmaking theory with you?" She sticks it to her.

Lana looked at Jason then back to Mrs. Teague, answering quietly, "Yeah, he did."

"And what did you think? That I had somehow used my mysterious powers to coerce you into going to Paris at exactly the same time that my son was there?"

Lana lowered her eyes from the woman, and then slowly looked to Jason who was now standing next to her for help.

Jason gave a hard look back at his mother as he answered for her, "You don't have to answer that."

Genevieve gave a small smile, "I think she already has." She steped closer to them, "Lana, I'm not a perfect mother. I can be overprotective and sometimes overbearing, especially when it comes to the women in my son's life."

Jason tried to stop her with a heavy tone, "Mom…"

But she continued anyway, "I had nothing to do with getting the two of you together as you can probably realize from my reaction to it. And why my son feels the need to blame 'me' for meeting you is something you should be asking yourself."

Lana swallowed hard as she looked at the other woman. Jason squeezed her hand as his eyes narrowed further at his mother.

She turned to Jason and continued, "If you change your mind about the doctor, let me know." She lightly touched his face, and he blinked at the unwelcome touch. "Fell better," she said and then exited the room.

He turned towards Lana, moving his hands to her shoulders. He could see the doubt and worry on her face. "Don't listen to her. She's a manipulative…"

"Jason. She right…" He started to object but she continued, "Seriously, how could she have…"

"And how could a scarf attack me, or a shower curtain attack you? How could you become possessed by a dead ancestor that was a witch?"

She sighed. He had a point. A very scary, and unbelievable point. But still a point. "Let's get out of here." She had enough with hospitals lately.

He nodded, "Agreed." With that they both left and headed back to the Talon with thoughts of who or what was against them now still fresh in their brains.

To Be Continued.

Please Review


	6. Chapter 6

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 6  
WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)  
RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)  
SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'  
SPOILERS: Everything!  
DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.  
FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)  
DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!  
RANT: Sorry I'm not writing as quickly as I used to. Real life really does not give you much time! But I am trying.

He stretched his legs out, and adjusted his back against the headboard as he continued to read. But he couldn't concentrate. He lifted his book from his chest, and looked at the back of the head that was resting on his stomach. Instead of reading her own book in her hand, she was staring at the wall. "Penny for your thoughts."

She slowly looked up at him, still sort of in a daze, "Huh?"

Jason sat his book down on the nightstand, and then pried hers away. "What are you thinking?" he asked this time more clearly indicating what he meant.

She blinked a few times and moved up to his chest. "I guess I can't believe that it wasn't Alicia, or your mom, or something to do with Isobel. It was some other, random crazy person." Her fingers moved up and lightly touched his neck, the purple marks now almost gone.

He grabbed her hand and pulled it down to his chest. "Well, at least it's over."

Lana sighed, "Yeah. I just… feel bad."

"About what?"

She sighed more heavily, "Alicia."

"What? You have to be kidding."

"She got hurt in all of this because no one believed her."

Jason shook his head. "She got hurt in all this because of the stuff she did in the past… to you and others. And while Clark and some others believe that she is okay now… I don't. I hate to say it Lana, but when she recovers and gets out of the hospital, I'm glad her family is taking her overseas for special treatment." While he knew that an ocean couldn't keep Alicia away if she wanted to get to Lana. The distance still made him feel better. She still looked upset, and he pulled her closer. "You know… you're just too sweet."

"Excuse me?" she asked him.

He smiled, "You worry about everyone else. Even when other people would be wishing them the worst." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Guess that's why you stole my heart."

She smiled and reached up and pulled his head down to hers and kissed him. His arms pulled her closer, and she came willingly, rolling her body over is. His hand went into her hair at the back of her head, as her tongue darted out tasting his lips. He groaned, opening his mouth. She pushed inside, their tongues dancing, tasting.

Her one hand ran through his hair, as her other snaked it's way down his body, feeling the muscles under his shirt. Then it started to creep up under the fabric, feeling the warm, soft skin. His hand moved to her lower back, pressing her closer, only for them to jump apart slightly at the sound of his cell phone going off next to them. They looked at it, then at each other. "Ignore it," he said and leaned back down to kiss her. She smiled into the kiss, her fingers lightly tickling along his ribs.

He shivered at her touch and tried to remove her hand making her giggle into his lips. He rolled them over onto her back, trying to pin her hand. The phone beeped indicating a voice message had been left. The two ignored it and continued wrestling and kissing. The phone beeped again, and they tried to push the annoyance away and concentrate on just how wonderful their bodies pressed together felt, how… the phone beeped again. "UGH!" Jason rolled over onto his back and quickly found the phone.

He pressed the button for voice mail and listened to the message. His shocked look got Lana's attention. "Who was it?" she asked as he hung up the phone.

Jason rubbed the spot behind his ear with the antenna of the phone as he contemplated the message, "It was Lex. He wants to meet with me."

"Why?" she asked sitting up next to him, her legs crossing on the bed.

"I have no idea."

He drove his BMW up to the mansion, parked, and then took a deep breath. He wasn't sure what Lex wanted, but he was very curious to find out. He exited the car, and quickly headed for the door. When the door opened he walked through, "Jason Teague. I'm sure Lex is expecting me," was all he offered for explanation as he made his way down the hall looking for the man.

It didn't take long for him to open the large double wooden doors and stride into the office. "Now, why would Lex Luthor want to see me?" He circled his hands and pointed towards the other man behind the desk as he walked towards him. "Let me take a stab at it. 'Cause you want to lecture me on the evils of a part-time coach dating an 18-year-old high school student," he said as he leaned over the desk staring at Lex.

He just sat back in his chair. "I took a hard line about the school rules, Jason, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the individuals involved. I'm sorry I cost you your job, and I'd like to make it up to you." Lex got out of his chair and walked around the desk.

Jason moved with him, never letting his back be turned to the man. "Really?" he asked skeptically. "I mean, you still haven't rescheduled my meeting with your H.R. guy over at LuthorCorp."

Lex smiled, "I have a position you might find more appealing. A position that pays a hundred thousand dollars a year."

He did a double take, and laughed, "Because I'm obviously qualified for a hundred thousand dollar a year job." He studied Lex's face, "My mother put you up to this, didn't she? She is trying her best to get between Lana and me."

Lex nodded, "She's trying to do a lot more than that, Jason. That's why I want to work together. To find out what she's really up to."

He almost laughed at that, "You want to team up against my mother?"

"The enemy of my enemy," Lex replied simply.

Jason shook his head, "And how do I know I can trust you?"

"You don't. But what other choice do you have?" he replied and patted Jason on the shoulder as he walked out of the room leaving him there to contemplate just that.

To be continued.

Please Review


	7. Chapter 7

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 7  
WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)  
RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)  
SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'  
SPOILERS: Everything!  
DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.  
FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)  
DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!  
RANT: Sorry the chapters are so short. But hey… I'm writing! Also, thank you to my faithful reviewers. hugs You guys are great, and I'm so glad you like my version. I do promise to fix the season and what they are doing on the show.

So how did it go?

Jason closed his eyes as he leaned back in his chair. He propped his feet up on the foot rest as he spoke into the phone. "Interesting to say the least."

Define interesting.

"He offered me a job."

What? came the shocked voice. Then after a small pause, Well, that's a good thing right? You need a job.

"It's not that easy Lana." He sighed trying to figure out what he exactly wanted to tell her. There were many things to think about, and consider. He wanted to be truthful with her, but he also wanted to protect her. Until he had things figured out, he would just have to be evasive. He wouldn't lie, but he didn't have to tell her everything. "I need to think about it."

Is there something wrong with it?

"I'm not sure how I feel about working for a man that got me fired. This is Lex Luthor we are talking about."

Well you have to do what feels right. There was a slight pause, Listen, I've got to get to class. Let me know what you decide.

"I will."

Love you.

He gave a soft smile, "Love you too. Bye." He turned off the phone and sat it on the side table. He sat up and put his hands over his face. "What to do? What to do?"

The double wooden doors opened, and Lex looked up to the intruder, "I take it you contemplated my job offer."

Jason walked over to the desk, "It wasn't a hard decision to make."

Lex leaned back in his chair, "I forgot to mention, a company car is included as well as a generous expense account." He tired to sweeten the deal.

He shook his head, "I'm not gonna work for somebody whose mission it is to break me and my girlfriend up." It was just that simple.

The other man stood up and walked towards him, "Jason, my only concern is Lana's welfare." Jason looked at him doubtful, but he continued. "But you're not the threat I'm worried about. It's your mother. Did you ever find it strange that every summer as a child, she took you on treks to the far reaches of the globe? Destinations where there wasn't even running water."

"My mother likes to travel. She always has."

Lex shook his head at him, "Those weren't vacations, Jason. They were research trips, investigating a woman who was burned at the sake 400 years ago."

Slightly shocked at the discovery, he swallowed and guessed, "Marguerite Isobel Theroux?"

He nodded in response, "The countess whose spirit possessed your girlfriend. And the fact that is happened soon after you and your mother came into Lana's life? Well, that bothers me. That bothers me a lot."

Jason swallowed again. It bothered him too. Much more than it probably bothered the other man. His jaw twitched as he responded back defensively, "I had nothing to do with that. I would never put Lana in jeopardy."

"And I believe you, or I wouldn't offer you this job."

Lex had intrigued him enough. Gave him enough new information to peek his curiosity. He wondered what else the man knew. "What exactly is it you want me to do?"

"I have deep pockets, Jason, vast resources. But the one thing I don't have is access. Two women in your life are somehow intimately connected to Marguerite Isobel Theroux. I want you to find out everything they know."

"So what, you want me to spy on them?" he asked in disbelief.

"How you get the information is up to you. Now, I need an answer."

Jason contemplated Lex's offer. Thought about everything he had learned in the last few minutes. He eyed the other man. Tried to quickly size up the situation. He swallowed again, and then put out his hand. "It's a deal." The two shook heavy hands.

He stood at the door, his hand raised to knock. But he didn't. Like he hadn't for the last few minutes he had been standing there. She was expecting him, but he wasn't ready to face her yet. He still wasn't sure what to tell her. He looked over his shoulder at the busy coffee shop below, and realized he couldn't stay out there much longer. Finally he let his knuckles hit the door, and he was quickly greeted with the door opening and her pulling him inside into a hug.

"There you are. I missed you. How did it go?" She said and ended it with a quick kiss before she bounded off into the kitchen area.

He smiled at her enthusiasm. He sat his coat on the back of the couch and walked towards the bar ledge and leaned on it, looking back at her. She looked up from the pan and cocked her head to the side, "That good huh?" She could tell he wasn't in a really good mood. "What happened?" she asked as she stirred the pasta.

He didn't want to talk about it. Looking at the contents on the stove he ignored the question and asked one of his own. "Pasta?"

"Yeah…" she looked up at him, "You eat pasta."

He reached over the counter and grabbed her hand, "I guess I was looking forward more to dessert." Her eyes grew wider, "Get back to where we were before this whole Lex thing." He winked at her.

"Well Mr. Teague, you'll have to wait for that dessert until after the pasta. I'm starving!" She said as she took the pot to the sink to drain it. "That, and you're avoiding my question." He sighed. She continued, "I know you too well."

She did. He knew he couldn't keep it from her. "I took the job."

She nodded and walked back over to the stove. "Okay. Good. What is it?"

"Lana… you might not say that when I tell you what it is."

Taking out two plates from the cupboard she returned and starting putting the pasta in the bowls. "Why?"

"He wants me to find out all the information I can about Isobel. Any way I can, even from you."

The sauce pan nearly fell out of her hand at his last words. She looked back at him, "He wants what?"

"You heard me."

She sat the half empty pan back on the stove. "And… and you… you took it?" He nodded. She picked up her dinner plate and headed to the table sitting down. "I can't believe that you would even consider working for him." The anger in her voice was now apparent. She might have been okay with him working for Lex in one of his 'regular' jobs, but not this, not something like this.

Jason paced by the couch, "It's not that black and white."

"I think it is. Investigating the Countess Theroux? It's all a ruse."

"Lana, the more Lex uses me, the more I get to use him and find out what he really knows." He tried to explain to her his true motivation for saying yes.

Lana shook her head and stood and moved towards him, "Okay, but that's just more secrets and more lies and at some point, it's all gonna blow up in our faces." She was now worried where this could go. She did on some level trust Lex, but no more than she could throw him, and that wasn't that far.

He sighed, "Well, unfortunately when dealing with people like Lex and my mother, honesty isn't necessarily the way to go."

"It doesn't matter. I am done lying. I can't go along with this."

"We've hit a brick wall. Our research with the countess is going nowhere. This might be our way of breaking through." He wanted to get through to her.

"Or their way of breaking us up."

And there it was, her true concern. He reached for her arms, and held them lightly trying to make his point. "I'm not gonna let that happen. Trust me."

She looked up at him, "How can I trust someone who's willing to lie for a living?" She moved out of his grasp, and headed back for the table. "As far as I'm concerned if you think that Lex knows something, then there's only one way to find out."

He watched her sit down and start to eat. "Lana…"

She shook her head, "Get your plate. Let's have the dinner we planned."

He did as instructed and sat down, looked at Lana, then back at his plate. He twirled his fork, playing with his food slightly. Pasta. He really wasn't in the mood for pasta.

To Be Continued...

Please Review


	8. Chapter 8

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 8  
WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)  
RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)  
SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'  
SPOILERS: Everything!  
DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.  
FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)  
DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!  
RANT: Okay, I was going to try and integrate the scenes almost exactly as they had on the show into the story, to try and explain things. I will do so for quite a few more. But for those of you that watch, it is basically going to be impossible since the show went in a direction that is NOT possible with everything else that has happened. For all you writers out there, the whole idea of continuity and foreshadowing is completely lost on Smallville writers. I could explain it, I could come up with a way to do it. But the way I would have to do it, I don't want the story to take that turn. So this story is going to MAJORLY break from the show at a certain point.

She was a seething on a mission. It showed in her determined stride as she walked down the hallway in the mansion, and came to a head when she saw him. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

He just kept walking in a slow, leasurly stride. "Something bothering you, Lana?"

"You want to know something about me, Lex, ask. Don't go recruiting my boyfriend to conduct some covert investigation."

They walked into his office with her on his heals as he set his briefcase down on the desk. "Contrary to what you may think, I'm on your side."

She almost laughed, "And how would I know that? You know, with you, everything seems like it's a secret." She sighed to herself, it seemed all the men in her life had secrets and she was getting really sick and tired of it.

"What you may perceive as secrecy, I see as precautions."

Rolling her eyes, "I'm a big girl, Lex. I don't need precautions. I need the truth."

He shook his head, "Sometimes we think we want the truth until we actually get it. Lana, if you want me to be honest with you, I will. But you're not gonna like it."

"If you're gonna feed me some story about Jason, I'm not interested.

"Look, I understand he means a lot to you. But when you're ready to talk, let me know. You can let yourself out." He turned and walked out of the room leaving her there to think about his words.

It only made her more mad. She stormed out of the office and out of the mansion. She needed to think. To put things together. She thought about what he said on the whole drive home back to the Talon. It irritated her. It really, really irritated her, and she knew. She just knew that she wouldn't be able to move on unless she knew what he was trying to tell her. She paced back and forth and then finally picked up the phone and dialed, "Fine. What do you know?"

It didn't take more than an hour and Lex was in her apartment, setting down his briefcase on the counter. He snapped open the locks and fished out a photograph. He then handed her a picture, "This photograph of Jason and his mother was taken in Paris a day before he met you."

She looked at the picture of Jason sitting on a brick wall next to his mother, the Effile Tower in the background. "No, that can't be. His mom was in the Hamptons."

"Look, Lana, I'm not gonna be so presumptuous as to judge Jason's integrity, but I'll lay out a few facts. Genevieve Teague has been researching the countess since before Jason was born. He grew up in a house full of ancient artifacts and reams of research material about Marguerite Isobel Theroux."

She swallowed, "He never told me that."

Lex gave a slight smile, "Contrary to what you may think, Jason has been aware of the countess since he was a child."

Her eyes could not hide the hurt as she shook her head in disblief, "No. No, I don't believe that."

"You have to ask yourself, Lana. How well do you really know Jason Teague?"

She looked at the photo again and then back to Lex. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Thank you for the information Lex. Now, I need time to think about it. Would you please?" she asked and motioned to the door. Lex nodded, shut his briefcase and left. She shut the door behind him and leaned against it. She took another look at the photograph and sighed, "Jason, what all aren't you telling me?"

He had no idea why he had agreed to see her. It was never a good thing, but unfortunitly she was his mother. He tried not to sigh as he sat down at the table in the coffee shop across from her. "What did you want mother?"

She looked serious, "I want you to leave here with me tonight."

Jason gave her a hard look, "Why? Because of Countess Marguerite Isobel Theroux?" She looked away from him. "You know that name, don't you?" he asked forcefully.

"Is this what Lex has you doing? Researching 17th century witches?"

He shook his head, "You're incapable of giving a straight answer, you know that? So apparently when Isobel was condemned to die, she vowed to rise again through one of her descendents. You knew that that was Lana, didn't you?" His anger was coming through in his tone as he leaned on the table looking back at her. "That's why you had me bring her to Isobel's tomb in Paris because you knew that if she received the mark then she was the one. Which means it's… it's my fault that everything's happening to her." His stomach felt sick when it seemed to all come together.

She put her hand on his, "You can't blame yourself.

He eyed her hand and then stood up quickly. "How could you use me like that?"

He turned away from her in disgust and she got up and walked towards him. "Look, it's not safe for you to stay here."

Jason turned back towards her, "Well, I'm not leaving Lana."

She sighed back at him, "Well, perhaps you'll change your mind when you hear the rest of the story. Isobel was condemned by a woman named Gertrude. Isobel vowed that when she rose from the dead, that she would wipe out all of Gertrude's heirs. We're Gertrude's ancestors, Jason."

"So you think that Lana is going to kill you?

"No. But Isobel will, and who knows when she'll return?"

"Mother, I walked out on Lana once before. I'm not gonna do it again."

"Than you're in love with a girl that may kill our entire family."

He lowered his head in frustration, not seeing Lana standing at the top of the stairs looking at them. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but he didn't look too happy about it. She quicky retreated inside and leaned against the counter. She jumped slightly when a few moments later a knock came from her door. She slowly went over and opened it. "Jason." She watched his face try to take on a carefree look, and she realized he had no intention on telling her that he had just met with his mother. She also quickly came to the conclusion that she wasn't going to tip her hand just yet either. He would have to say something first, or she would need more information to confront him with.

Jason did his best to mask his inner turmoil about what he had been learning lately. "Sorry I'm a little late. Ran into someone unexpectedly and couldn't get away. Can I take you out to dinner to make up for it?"

She plastered on a smiliar smile and turned grabbing her purse, "Sure. Sounds great." She could play right along. They went out to dinner, afterwards he dropped her off at her door, and headed back to his apartment. Lana walked into her own place, and before she even sat down her belongings she reached for the phone and dialed. "Hi. I know it's late, but I have a huge favor to ask. And please… no questions."

Lana opened the door and the blonde entered. She then shut the door and walked into the kitchen. "Coffee?"

Chloe nodded and yawned. Lana poured two cups of coffee and then handed one to Chole. She took a drink and then looked over at the brunette, "So do you mind telling my why I was up until two in the morning researching Jason's family tree? I mean, not that it wasn't, you know, halfway interesting, it's just you definitely got your place in the Guinness Book of Strangest Last-Minute Requests."

The girls took their cups to the living room. Lana stammered, "I, uh, saw him downstairs talking to his mom. It was obviously a heated discussion, but uh... when he came up to the apartment, he didn't even mention it to me."

"Well, did you hear what they were talking about?"

She shook her head, "No. But it clearly rattled him. Chloe, he's keeping something from me. You know, I don't even know who I can trust anymore." They sat down on the couch. "Did you find anything?" she asked, hoping that there was actually nothing to find.

"Not much," she replied as she opened a folder. "I mean, I can only go back as far as his mom's grandmother. After that, it's like someone just chopped off a part of his family tree. There's nothing there. I can tell you that she comes from a town called Castelnois de Montmiral." She took a piece of paper from inside and handed it to her friend. "That's all I know. Well, except that..." She stopped at the look of shock on the other's face. "Lana, are you okay?"

Fear was actually rising in her. "Chloe, this is the town that my ancestors come from. And Isobel Theroux."

"Well, on a scale of weird to ten... Genevieve's grandmother is the one who moved Isobel's tomb into that church in Paris."

"Why would anyone move a witch's tomb into a church?"

"I think that's something you need to ask Jason," Chloe told her.

"I guess I'll have to do just that."

Okay, the next chapter... is going to be ALL mine. :) And a LOT longer.

Please Review


	9. Chapter 9

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 9  
WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)  
RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)  
SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'  
SPOILERS: Everything!  
DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.  
FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)  
DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!  
RANT: You know… as I'm writing this it has so many weird parallels to Dark Angel its strange. I keep almost typing Max instead of Lana. LOL

She paced back and forth in his apartment. He wasn't back from class yet, and she had let herself in. She should have been at class herself, but she cut out early. There was just too much on her mind, and it couldn't wait any longer. She knew his classes were over, but that didn't mean he was going to come right back home. He might have stopped off at the Library, or went somewhere with friends. She started to fish her cell phone out of her purse when she heard the key in the lock.

The door opened and she looked up to a shocked Jason, "Lana… uhhh… What are you doing here?"

She smiled, "Not happy to see me?"

He shut the door behind him, threw his backpack on the floor and walked over to her. "You know I love to see you. Just surprised is all." He looked at his watch, "Really surprised, aren't you supposed to be in…"

She cut him off. "We need to talk."

He swallowed hard at the serious look in her face and the change in the tone of her voice. "About?" he ventured.

"You know."

He searched her face for exactly what she was talking about. He wasn't going to just start confessing to something that he wasn't even sure if that was what she was talking about. "I'm pleading the 5th until I know what I am being accused of."

"You seem awfully guilty for someone who I haven't accused of anything."

"Your tone is doing the job for your lack of words." He sighed, "Please, just tell me what this is about."

"If you are so unsure, then there must be a lot there, maybe more than I'm even aware." She was getting worried about why he was avoiding the issue.

He groaned, "Lana. Stop with these mind games. Just tell me what you want to know."

"Okay, fine." She turned around and grabbed the photo Lex had given her from the folder on the chair. "First, mind explaining this to me?"

He looked at the picture of him and his mother in Paris, then back to Lana. "It's a picture of me and my mother… so?"

"Lex says that picture was taken the day BEFORE you met me. I thought she was in the Hamptons."

He closed his eyes. "So Lex has you all paranoid now. He's trying to get you to turn on me." He shook his head, but also realized that maybe Lex was right. Maybe she did need protecting from him. "Lana… doesn't it seem a little strange that someone would take a photo of me and my mother together, so that they could have it later as some type of evidence?" He saw that thought run through her. "Second, yes, that picture was taken then." He saw her about ready to speak but continued. "She came to visit me and we saw each other that day. But she left that afternoon to the Hamptons. It wasn't exactly the nicest of visits between us. But they never usually are." He shook his head, "I never lied to you."

She swallowed, he was right. He had never said when his mother went to the Hamptons, only that that was where she was at the time. "Lex…"

He sighed and threw up his arm, "So this is all from Lex."

She nodded and continued, "Lex said that you grew up knowing about Isobel, and that your mother had tons of stuff in the house about her. That you knew all along. Jason… you played dumb about the name."

He rubbed his forehead. "Lana…"

She wasn't listening as she was pacing. "How could you keep something like that from me."

"I didn't."

"Yes you…"

"NO. I didn't." He ground out. He knew how it looked, how it seemed. But it wasn't true. "Yes, my mother was researching Isobel. And yes she took me on many of those 'family vacations.' BUT… I never knew that. I thought she just liked to travel. I thought she was just into history. I was never a part of what she found. I did not know what she researched. I was a kid. I didn't care. The trips were fun. And by the time I was old enough to care… me and her weren't… exactly on the best of terms. I was basically out of the house. So… did I grow up with stuff about Isobel? Yes. Did I know about it? No."

She swallowed at his defense. From what she knew of their relationship, and from what she had known of his mother when they had talked, she could see that happening. But then it occurred to her, "Wait. You aren't denying that you know that now. Why didn't you tell me when you found out? When did you find out?"

He smiled at her, "Lex told me. Lex is the one that informed me of what those trips really were. Interesting huh?"

She shook her head but not in disbelief, she could see Lex doing that. But it still didn't answer her question. "But you didn't tell me."

He sat down in the chair, "Lana. Let me put it like this. Am I supposed to believe Lex at his word?"

"No. I guess I wouldn't… shouldn't either." She paused, "So is that what you were talking to your mother about?"

Jason looked up at her quickly, "You saw us at the Talon."

She nodded, "You didn't look to happy. But then you came up stairs you acted like nothing was wrong."

He ran his fingers through his hair. "My mother basically confirmed what Lex said, and… told me a few other things. Things that I'm not exactly sure how I feel about. I'm actually still trying to process them." He stood up, and walked over to her. "I'm not trying to hide things from you. I just…" He sighed again. "Remember when I first saw that tattoo on you back?" She nodded. "And remember you didn't want to talk about it. You were confused by it yourself." She nodded again. "I guess I'm just trying to figure it out. Figure out where I stand with it, so that I can even attempt to try and tell you."

She saw the confused and also hurt look in his eyes. Whatever his mother had told him, had affected him a lot. She took his hand and led him back to the chair. He sat down and she sat on the arm putting her feet on the other side of his lap, and looked down at him. "Jason, I do understand. But I need you to tell me. This isn't just about you. Its about me too. And… it scares me."

He looked up into her dark eyes, and he knew it did. He could tell. "Honestly, it scares me too." He pulled her down onto his lap, and wrapped his arms around her. "Lana. You have to believe me. The last thing I ever want to do is hurt you." He turned her face to look at him, his hand caressing her cheek. "I love you way to much."

She gave a soft smile, "I love you too. That's why you need to trust me. We need to trust each other. Be open with each other. Even when we don't know how to feel, or what to do. Maybe we can figure it out together."

"Maybe I'm just afraid you won't want to be together to figure it out when I tell you."

She swallowed, "That bad?"

He closed his eyes in thought, remembering what his mother had told him. "First. You have to believe me when I say I never knew." He looked back into her eyes, "I never knew what she was trying to do. What she was doing. I didn't know until just the other night."

She nodded, "I believe you." How could she not? He looked close to tears.

"Remember when you asked for inspiration with your art project?" She nodded again. "Well, I wasn't sure what to tell you. But I did know someone who would. I knew how my mother was with history. I asked her where you should go for such a thing."

"You asked your mom? But you hate even talking…"

He nodded, "But you were struggling with it. You wanted something really great and I wanted to help…"

"So you asked her advise anyway. For me…"

"Yeah… I should have… I should have known there was something wrong when she so quickly and easily tried to help and gave me the information on Isobel." He looked down again. "So it was my fault you were there. It was my fault that you got that tattoo on you back from touching her grave. It's my fault that…"

She silenced him with a finger on his lips. "No. It's not your fault."

He pulled her hand away. "My mother used me to get to you. She used me, her own son. And now…" he shook his head, he didn't want to go on.

"Now what?" She tried to pull his face back up to look at her, but he struggled against her hands. "Jason. Now what?"

He squeezed his eyes shut tight, and clenched his jaw, "Now she wants me to leave you because she… she thinks that you…" He stopped, he couldn't say it. "She thinks that Isobel is going to try and kill her, kill her… entire family."

Lana's hands dropped from the sides of his face into her lap. "Why?" she asked softly.

"I guess the Countess vowed to kill all of Gertrude's heirs for burning her at the stake. Guess who's family line that is?" He gave a small, humorless laugh at that.

She shook her head, "But… that doesn't make sense."

He finally looked up at her, "What part?" Most of it shouldn't make any sense. It was crazy.

"Why would she want me to get possessed by a person that would try and kill her and her family? Why not just leave it locked up in that church?" Why did his mother's grandmother move the tomb into the church in the first place? If it were possible for Isobel to possess someone, wouldn't it be better to hide the tomb?

"Because…my mother wants those stones so bad, she's willing to risk her own life and mine as well to get them."

"And she thinks that Isobel will lead her to them." She saw the haunted look in his eyes, and she leaned against him. "See… that wasn't so bad. Look how easy that was to tell me." She tried to put humor into the situation, tried to lighten the mood, but it failed. Miserably. Then his next words broke her heart.

"I'm so sorry."

"Jason…"

"No…" he took her hand. His fingers weaving together with hers as he continued, "If it wasn't for me you wouldn't be in this mess. Heck, you might still be in Paris."

"I'd still be a decedent of Isobel. Somehow everything would probably still happen to me. But… I'd be alone trying to figure it out. But…" she tiled his chin up to look at her, "But I'm not alone now. Or am I?" She held her breath as she waited for his answer.

His fingers trailed over her cheek as he looked into her eyes, "No one could drag me away now."

She gave a soft smile, "Then I'm stuck with you?" He nodded. "Wouldn't want it any other way." She leaned back down and kissed him to make her point.

It was Saturday. Which meant, no classes, no work, no Lex, no Genevieve, and if she had her way nothing but normal. She wanted one carefree day. The small knock at her door had her smile as she went over and opened it. "Hi."

"Hello," came the reply with a sweet tone. "So… what are we doing today?" He asked as he walked in, setting his backpack by the door. "I have some old maps. Some history books from the library that might be helpful. And some…" he was cut off when she stepped in front of him, and just leaned up and kissed him. He stopped mid thought, and his arms instinctively went around her, kissing her back fully.

She felt him lean into the kiss and pulled him closer to her, her tongue lightly licking his lips requesting entrance, which he happily obliged. He groaned in response as she pushed inside his mouth, his arms tightening around her. His mind was reeling, and he regretfully pulled away, slightly out of breath. "What was that for? Not that I'm complaining."

Lana smiled up at him, "I don't want to talk about Isobel. Or the stones. Or anything like that." Her hands ran through his hair. "I want a day with just you, and me. A day were I'm with my boyfriend, just being a normal girlfriend."

He grinned. He knew exactly how she felt. He took a deep breath and let it out, letting the tension leave him. "So, what does that exactly mean?"

His eyes sparkled back at her, and she knew he liked the idea as well. "Well… what do you want it to mean?"

Jason could have sworn he heard her voice drop an octave or two. He swallowed, his hands moved down her back, and settled on her hipbones, pulling her tightly against him. "With everything that has been going on you couldn't mean what you're eluding to, so please… Please don't tease me." He might be a very patient man. And he still would be. But he still had his limits. She could at least play fair.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up into his dark, hazel eyes. He was right. He had been very understanding, the least she could do was not tease him when she didn't mean it. But the only thing was… she smiled up at him. "I'm not teasing."

He didn't know if he heard her correctly or not. "Lana… After everything. After what I told you… How… How can you want to?" He was just a slightly bit confused.

She understood why he was questioning her. But she also knew how she felt. "It's simple really," she said leaning closer to him, moving up on her toes to look more directly into his eyes. "What has happened wasn't your fault." She continued not letting him object. "I do understand why you didn't come right out and tell me. I know that I love you." She emphasized that with a soft kiss. "I know that I trust you. I trust you with my heart. Heck, I trust you with my life. Why shouldn't I trust you with my body as well?"

He swallowed hard under her gaze. "But that doesn't mean…"

"You have my heart." She laid one of her palms over his chest, looking down briefly than back up into his eyes, "I can see that I have yours." His slight nod, and the increasing heartbeat under her fingers confirmed it. "I want you to have my body." She saw his eyes darken, and his hands grip her tighter at her words and she continued pushing herself closer to him, "And… I … WANT… YOURS."

His mouth was on hers in an instant. One hand left her hip to move quickly to the back of her head, and into her hair, keeping her lips plastered to his. He only broke the kiss to allow his lips to travel down her neck. The sound of pleasure that blew past his ear from her only worked to convince him that she did actually mean it. That and the fact that her hands were desperately trying to free him of his shirt.

She wanted to touch him. Feel his warm skin against her own. Her hands finally got under his shirt and they pulled apart from each other long enough to get the material over his head. Soon it was lost to the floor, and her hands moved over his soft skin feeling the hard muscles underneath. Her body pushing up against him, trying to feel more.

Her hips moved against his, and he groaned into her neck. His hands moved together down her backside, lifting her up to him. She responded by jumping and wrapping her legs around his waist. He moved his lips back to hers, and kissed her as he maneuvered his way back to her bedroom. He awkwardly made his way through her door, his hands firmly holding her to him. As hers continued to move over him, in between them, now trying to unbutton his jeans. He moaned at the feeling of her fingers gliding against the bare skin at his waistband.

He stopped abruptly, as his legs hit the edge of her bed, and they both almost toppled onto it. She let out a small laugh, but was silenced instantly as his tongue plunged into her mouth, making her head swim in the taste of him.

He put one knee down on the bed, one hand moved up her back as he lowered her down onto the mattress. His own body followed, as her legs were still wrapped around him. He tried to pull away, but she hooked her ankles together and pulled his hips tighter to her, making them both groan at the contact. "Lana… If you want to continue…" he breathed against the skin by her ear, "I have to move away, otherwise these clothes won't come off."

Once the truth in his words entered her foggy brain, her legs fell to his sides, and her hands were back between them, trying to again work on that pesky button to his pants. Why couldn't her fingers unhook that damn button?

Jason kicked off his shoes. One flew out into the hallway. He than sat back on his feet, and her upper body followed into a sitting position. His hand cupped the side of her face as his other slowly made a trail down the front of her shirt. He watched the pupils in her eyes dilate even more, as his fingertips got to the bottom and then started to slowly pull it up. Her own hands moved in to help raise the cloth over her head and fling it to the corner of the room.

A white lacy bra on caramel skin greeted his eyes. His gaze slowly traveled up to her face finding a slight blush. He leaned back in kissing her once more. Her hands came back to his pants, and in her frustration she murmured, "Off," against his lips. He smiled against her mouth, and his hands came to help hers. The button unhooked, the zipper down, the jeans finally slid past his hips. Her hands pushed him back on his ass. Her hands grabbed his pants at his ankles and started to pull them off. The pulling made him fall back fully onto the bed, his lungs letting out his laughter.

Lana grinned in triumph as she balled up his pants and with a wink was about to toss them across the room leaving him just in his boxers when his hand grabbed her wrist.

"Wait. I need those."

She laughed, "Uhhh… not right now you don't."

He sat back up, and pulled his jeans away from her, "We need something in them." He said as he fished out his wallet from the back pocket. Her eyebrow went up in question. Then his fingers held up a square package. "Something we might not want to forget."

Her eyes widened, "Forgot about that." Then her head titled to the side, her lips with a small smirk. "But it looks like someone was planning ahead."

He could tell by the twinkle in her eyes that she wasn't upset. "Well after that whole spontaneous speech, I thought it might be a good idea…" He couldn't finish as she launched herself at him, kissing him, and pulling the package out of his hand. He pushed forward and they tumbled onto her back. Her legs opened to embrace his body. She pulled away briefly to look at the package and giggled as she sat it on the night stand. "Ribbed?" she giggled again.

Jason smiled into the skin of her neck, leaving another kiss, "All for you." She laughed again as he looked up and winked at her. She shook her head at him. "What?"

"How… How can you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Make me laugh. Make me feel loved. And make me want you so much all at once?"

He leaned down, his lips millimeters from hers, "You want me huh?" his voice was low. Her breath caught in her throat and she just nodded. "I want you too."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Her hands went down her sides, "Help me get these off."

"Yes ma'am," he sat up quickly. She didn't have to tell him twice, as his fingers dipped into the elastic waistband and pulled the fabric down her hips, then legs. He threw them over his shoulder and then turned his sight back onto her. Only small white innocent pieces of fabric covering her from him, the lace teasing him as to what was beneath.

"Are you just going to stare, or …" She didn't have to finish as he crawled back over her, his fingers moving up from her knee, over her hip, across her ribs, all the way to her check.

"So beautiful," was all he could say as he kissed her again.

Her arms wrapped around his neck as she pulled him back down to her, and with a tilt of her hips she rolled him over onto his back. He went willingly, allowing her to take whatever lead she wanted. She smiled down at him, as her hands went behind her. She unhooked the clasps of her bra, and then her hands went to the straps.

Jason sat up, his fingers over hers, "Let me." She nodded, and looked into his eyes, watching them, as he slowly pulled the straps down her shoulders, his hands grazing the bare sides of her breasts making her body shudder over him. Letting the lace fall between him, his hands gently moved up her sides, as his lips kissed hers. She leaned in, urging him further.

She moaned against his mouth as his palms found her breasts. Her body pushed him back onto the bed, her hair falling in a curtain around their heads. Her hips pressed more firmly against him as she sat over him, both groaning at the hard evidence of his desire for her between them.

He tore his lips from hers and whispered into her ear, "Lana… if you want to stop… now would be a good time."

She pressed herself tighter against him, her lips trailing over his neck, "I don't want to stop." And with that she was crawling down his body, leaving small kisses over his fevered skin. Her hands followed. She heard his intake of breath as she kissed the skin at the elastic of his boxers. Her fingers slipped under, her eyes looked up into his. He lifted his hips, and she dragged them down his legs. Only when they had found their way in the pile of clothes on the floor did she actually take a look at the now fully naked man in front of her.

He laid as perfectly still as he could. He wanted her to decide what to do, how to proceed. The small, seductive smile that spread over her face had his slight fear that she would run from the room at any moment disappear. The only thing was, it looked like she was frozen in the spot she was in. He slowly sat up, and moved towards her.

Her eyes blinked a few times and then moved back up to his face. The feeling of his fingertips at her hip, playing with the band of the last remaining piece of fabric between them, had her look down, and then back up again into deep hazel pools. She saw the question there. She nodded at him, she was sure. Absolutely sure.

Her hands helped his move the silk and lace down her legs. She toed them off, as his hands came around her waist and pulled her naked body to his. Their skin firmly touching as their lips meet in a searing kiss. She couldn't help herself as her hands move over his flesh. His back, his chest, his ass, his hips, and then one moved between them.

He groaned, moving his face into her neck as she gripped him. Her lips trailed over his check, her other hand moving his head to look at her. She bit her lip, "Jason… You're going to have to help me…" She was nervous, and unsure of exactly what to do.

He nodded in understanding. "For this time… let me love you." She smiled. "You… just trust me, and… relax." He leaned back in and kissed her softly, his arms tilting her body and then he laid her back onto the bed.  
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Continue on here for the PG-13 version.  
But if you are old enough, and would like to read the NC-17 version of the rest of the chapter.  
**Go to NWP** (search for Nuns With Pens) - If you like Jensen, you'll love this place.  
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When he could finally open his eyes, he rolled to his back bringing her over onto his chest. His arms held her to him, as his lips kissed the top of her head. He felt her lips move against his chest, and a mumbled sound came out, but he couldn't make it out. "What?" he asked softly as his hand lightly titled her face up to look at him.

He was greeted with her beautiful smile, "I said…" he lips turning up even more. "Wow." This time he laughed with her.

To Be Continued

Please Review


	10. Chapter 10

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 10

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: I know, it's been awhile since I posted. But I went on vacation, and then work… ugh. What can I say… they can't live without me. LOL So here's a new yet short chapter. Yes some of it will be like the show to a certain point, because I am using some of the story line. But you will KNOW when it changes.

"Oh no."

"What?" Jason asked worried at the sound of her voice as he turned to her.

Lana was hanging off the side of the bed, her head gone from view as she looked under it. Her arm came up quickly with an opened box, then her upper body followed as she responded. "It's empty."

The cute little pout on her face made him laugh as he pulled the box from her. His eyebrow shot up, and then his lips turned into a slight smirk, "I could always run to the Quickie Mart again."

She laid back down on the bed, "Yes, I can just see the clerk wondering why you need to buy another 12 pack of condoms in the same weekend."

He turned towards her, "Well… I might not need to if you didn't destroy three of them trying to open them so quickly." His hand reached out, and his fingers tickled her naked side.

Her hand swatted at him, "Oh, and you are complaining?"

His arms pulled her body flush against his, "Not at all." He leaned in and kissed her deeply. His lips trailed down her neck, and her hands moved up into his hair, pulling him closer. The moan in his ear made him pull away quickly. "Okay… We either stop, get some breakfast." He looked at the clock, "Make that a late lunch. Then actually do our homework for tomorrow." He couldn't believe it was already Sunday afternoon. "Or…" He watched her face, "I go to the little market down the street again… really quickly." He added from the look in her eyes.

She leaned over the bed once again. His pair of jeans was flung at him, followed by a white T-shirt. He looked at them, then back to her as she sat back up. "What are you doing? Get going!"

He jumped out of bed, and pulled on his Jeans. "Yes Ma'am!" He said as he quickly found his shoes and pulled on his shirt before heading out the door with a huge smile on his face and the punned thought of what did he get himself into. But that only made his grin bigger.

He walked down the large hallway holding a folder of documents. More research. Research on the woman who had possessed his girlfriend. Lana had finally relented, and he was now working for Lex. Well, that's what Lex thought. But really, they just wanted to get the answers as much as he did. And who where they to say Lex shouldn't pay him for something he was going to do anyway? Besides, it meant that he also had a lot more resources at his fingertips.

His body was just plain tense in that place. Even the wonderful mood that he was in from the weekend, and most of the week, couldn't get the creepy feeling to go away when he was here. He honestly hoped he could figure all this out soon, and not have to come back.

He opened the door to Lex's study and was greeted quickly by a voice.

"If you're looking for my son, he's not here."

He eyed the other man, walked over to the desk and sat the folder down. "I'm just returning something."

Lionel continued to sit there, reading his newspaper. "Yes, yes. How's the research coming?" he asked seeming if not to care.

Jason swallowed, "I'm not sure I know what you mean."

"Yes, you do. I mean Isobel," the older man countered.

He was shocked silent. He wasn't sure how to respond.

Looking up from his paper, Lionel chuckled. "I understand your hesitation. When I found out that you'd been hired by my son, I put a few of the pieces together and saw a connection. You, um, you're Genevieve Teague's boy."

Jason watched him stand up and walk towards him. The man's eyes moved over him. So what if he knows my mother? A lot of influential men 'know' my mother.

"Yes. Of course." The man laughed softly again at Jason's nervous look. Then added seriously, "You can't trust her, Jason." He got a knowing nod in response. "Of course, you can't trust my son either, but I think you know that."

Jason smiled, "And I suppose you're gonna tell me I can trust you, though." Lionel picked up a manila envelope and handed it to Jason as a reply. "What's this?"

"Open it," he answered as he returned to the couch and sat down. Jason slowly opened the envelope. Inside was a piece of paper, showing a very ancient looking map. "I think it might help you."

His eyes were scanning the paper in his hands. His brain trying to figure out exactly what it meant. Where it lead. His eyes flickered to the back of the head of the man sitting on the couch. Could he trust him? Could he trust Lex's father? Could he trust a person that seemed to 'know' his mother so well? He wouldn't bet his life on it. But for some reason, he had a feeling that what he held in his hands would give him some of the answers that he was looking for. He folded it and put it back in the envelope. He needed to find Lana and tell her the new yet strange turn of events.

"So it's a treasure map?"

"Of sorts," he said looking over her shoulder as she sat at her table looking at the piece of paper. His hands came to rest on her shoulders, his hands absently rubbing them as she continued to look, and he continued to think.

Lana had no idea what it meant, and couldn't begin to think of where it would be. "I don't remember anything in Paris looking like that."

He nodded, "I agree." She handed him the paper and stood up walking back into the kitchen. Jason folded it back up and again placed it back in the envelope. "I'm going to use some of Lex's computers and try to do a mapping search of it. Maybe it will come up with something."

She nodded as she took the teakettle off the stove and poured a cup. She looked up at him and he shook his head no. She put the kettle back, picked up the cup and then walked over to the couch. He sat down next to her, and she leaned into his chest. "Why do I have the feeling we are getting close to something, and that scares the hell out of me?"

Jason wrapped his arm around her and hugged her closer. He knew what she meant. He had a bad feeling about the whole thing too. Leaning down he kissed the top of her head, and then settled his check against her hair. He promised himself one thing, that no matter what he found out, he would protect her. No matter how he had to do it.

To be continued.

Please review – Thank you!


	11. Chapter 11

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 11

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: Okay, this and the next few chapters will be a lot like the show, but with added internal dialogue and a few added things here and there. Would you believe I'm still setting up the story? Seriously, I am. LOL

There was his answer. Staring back at him from the computer screen. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Now the only question was what to do with the information.

He quickly shut down the screen. Cleared the history files. Effectively erasing his search through the LutherCorp computers. He got up from the desk and headed out of the building and into the dark night.

Jason sat in his car in the parking lot, his hands gripping and un-gripping the steering wheel, as he tried to decide what to do. The hum of the engine told him to start driving, but he wasn't sure where he should go.

Should he go to Lana's and tell her what he found out? Or should he go home, pack, and find it himself? If the stone was even there. The thing that worried him wasn't if it would be there or not. What worried him is what else would be there waiting for him. Waiting for Lana.

That thought made his decision for him and he drove off in the direction of his apartment.

She just couldn't seem to get the smile off her face as she walked into her apartment and sat down her book bag. Everyone had noticed her chipper mood, and she denied anything until Chloe had cornered her in the Torch's office.

She laughed as she made her way into her bedroom. As she kicked off her shoes, she remembered the look on her friends face when she told her what happened. How she had gotten to her next class without divulging all of her and Jason's personal information was a miracle. That girl certainly was a reporter.

The ringing of her phone brought her out of her thoughts and she ran into the kitchen to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Jason."

The corners of her lips curled higher, "Jason who?"

"Very funny," came the flat reply.

Her smile grew bigger, but her ears picked up the sound of a crowd in the background. "Well, it doesn't sound like Kansas. Where are you?"

Jason looked around him in the dark. Massive amounts of people moving around behind him. "Uh, Metropolis." He lied into his cell phone. "I have to stay here for a few days, oversee some things for Lex." He hated this, but he had to do it.

Her brow wrinkled, "I didn't realize that your job required any overseeing."

"Yeah. Listen," He changed subjects, not wanting to get into it. "I can't really talk right now. I just stepped out of a meeting. But I, uh, I wanted to call 'cause I didn't get a change to before I left." Well, he had the chance. He just didn't want too. Because he knew that if he had seen her, or talked to her, he would have told her the truth.

"Is Lex with you?"

"No, I'm solo."

She smiled and teased, "Well, you better stay that way. I know what happens to people when they run off to Metropolis."

He almost smiled at her comment until a Chinese man standing behind him yelled something to one of his customers. He tried to quickly cover his phone so she wouldn't hear it. But it was too late.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." He said hastily. "Um, listen, I gotta go. I'll call you tomorrow, okay? Good night." He said and hung up his phone and then cussed at himself for realizing what he had said, and what he had failed to say.

Lana put down her phone, looking at it confused, "Night?" She shook her head, and went over to grab her books from her bag. "Meetings must be getting to him."

He walked down the dark, crowded street. His body slightly jumped when his cell phone rang. He quickly dug it out of his leather jacket and answered, "Hello?"

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you skipped town on me."

Jason rubbed his forehead, "Lex. Yeah, I was going to call you. Something came up. I had to leave work early."

"To what, catch the next flight to Shanghai?"

The look of shock could not escape his face, "What?"

"Why don't you turn around?"

Jason swallowed hard and turned to see Lex standing right down the street from him with his own cell phone to his ear. Lex hung his up and started walking towards him, clearly annoyed.

Once within hearing distance Lex started in again, "You didn't really think I'd hire you, bring you into my life, and not follow every step you take, did you?"

"Lex…"

"I know my father gave you a map, Jason. And I know you figured out that it leads to a temple just outside the city, but if you think you're gonna find that stone without me, you're mistaken." The two men stared at each other for a moment. There was no reason for Jason to deny anything. They knew exactly what each other was doing. "Let's go."

With that Lex turned and started to walk away, a moment later Jason started to follow.

"Still no answer. Right to voice mail!" She was getting upset. Or worried. Or both. She couldn't reach him. "That's it. I will just go and have Lex find him, since he's the one responsible for me not being able to reach him." And with her keys and purse she was out the door and on her way to the mansion.

Barging her way into Lex's study she stopped abruptly in the middle of the room once she noticed that Lionel was there.

"Miss Lang. Please, don't be shy." He said as he continued to cut up an orange. "You were looking for your elusive boyfriend, I assume."

She hesitated. How did he know so much? "Uh, yeah. I was hoping that Lex could get in touch with him for me. He sent him to go catch up on this project and I can't seem to reach him on his cell."

"Well, I would imagine reception would be rather shoddy in China. Lex is in Shanghai. If I had to guess, I would say that your boyfriend is there with him."

Lana couldn't believe her ears. China? Shanghai?

Lionel looked at her, seeing the shock. "I'm sorry. I-I thought Jason wouldn've told you what's happening, considering you were the one born right into the middle of all this. You should know, Miss Lang, how thoroughly Jason and Lex have been studying Isobel Theroux, your rebellious ancestor."

Yes, she did know that. But he didn't know, she did. "Looks like they aren't the only ones."

He walked over to the bookshelf and picked up a wooden box. He went back over to the desk and sat down in the chair as he continued. "Isobel's archrival was a duchess, Gertrude who was obsessed with finding three mythical stones. She sent ships to the far ends of the known earth, but all her agents could discover was this map somewhere in China." He opened the box, and pulled out the same map he had given Jason, showing it to her.

"What does this treasure map have to do with Isobel?"

"The map never made it into the hands of the duchess. Isobel stole the document and hid it. Gertrude had the exquisite young sorceress executed."

Fear was evident in her eyes, "Isobel's looking for them too."

He nodded, "And she's working through you, using you as a vessel. I gave a copy of the map to Jason as well. I'm not surprised he didn't tell you about it."

She almost smiled at how wrong he was.

He got back up, closed the box, and returned it to the bookshelf. "Your kinship with Isobel may not be a secret, but are you aware that Jason is a direct descendent of the duchess, Gertrude?"

She tried to show shock, wondering what else she could get out of this man if she continued to fake her ignorance.

She hadn't gotten a lot of answers from him, but she did get some help. And right then, she was a lot more mad at the two men in the other country then she was for not getting more answers. She wanted to be able to call and scream at him for lying to her. She wanted to demand to know why he didn't tell her. She already knew what his response would be. "Protect me, my ass." She mumbled as she threw some more clothes into her suitcase.

Turning around she almost jumped at seeing Clark there. "Going somewhere?"

Lana paused for a moment and then went to her dresser taking some more things to pack. "China."

He blinked, trying to take that in. "China? Are you serious?"

She nodded, "And freaked out and mad and just about everything else you can possibly imagine." She rambled out letting her emotions get the better of her.

Clark looked confused, "Lana, what's going on?"

She turned to him, "Which part? The immaculate tattoo, the fact that I seem to be harboring a 16th century witch, or that Jason and Lex took off with a map to uncover it all behind my back?" My boyfriend took off with out me she wanted to scream.

"Why would they do that?"

"I don't know, but Jason said that we were gonna figure this out together." She almost choked on the words. "But it turns out he has a rather limited definition of 'we'."

Clark swallowed, "Well, maybe he has a good reason why he's not being open with you. Don't you think you owe him a chance to explain?"

She eyed him, "Clark, you know I don't give up on someone that easily." He lowered his eyes as she continued, "But I'm not gonna just let him lie to me, even if it was for a good reason."

"So you're gonna take off and fly halfway around the world just like that?"

She nodded, "Lionel Luthor made all the arrangements and I'm taking the LuthorCorp jet." From his look, she continued. "And I know, Clark, that I can't trust him. But he gave me the name of this professor that might be able to help."

"Well, then I'm going with you."

Lana was stunned for a second, then shook her head, "I'm not gonna drag you into this."

"I'm not letting you go alone."

She was about to object, and then she relented. It would be better to not be alone. Besides, if she wasn't alone then she couldn't kill him when she found him.

To Be Continued

Please Review - Thank you!


	12. Chapter 12

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 12

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: First, I have to say… I can't take credit for a lot of this. Bringing in Lex, Lionel, and Clark along with the stones and China were all part of the show. I have added scenes and internal dialogue to have the show make some SENSE. But that part of the plot was not mine. And of course I added Jason and Lana's first time. Like the show would EVER do that. rolls eyes

The men had been silent as they walked through the crowded, dark Shanghai streets. Jason was angry with himself for getting caught. He just wondered how many more precautions did he have to take around Lex. He thought he had his bases covered. Next time he would be much more careful. If there was a next time.

"Jason, you can't trust my father." The words seemed to come out of nowhere, and Jason turned quickly to Lex as he continued. "He gave you that map for a reason, and now you're leading him right to the stone."

"I'm not working for your father or anyone else," he stated flatly.

Lex eyed him, "Then why does this stone even matter to you?"

"'Cause until I find it, Lana's not gonna be safe."

"Safe from what?"

The two men stopped and faced each other. "From my mom. From Lionel, from you. I don't know, Lex, you tell me!" He was frustrated, and hoped by some miracle that Lex would answer his question. Because if he at least knew whom he was fighting against, then maybe he could do something.

Lex turned and looked down the street at two men in Chinese military uniforms staring back at them. "Look, unless you hired your own Chinese security, I think we've hit a bit of a snag." Jason turned to look in the same direction, just as Lex yelled, "Run!"

Both men turned and ran. The two soldiers quickly took up the chase after them, shouting in Chinese while they pursued. They turned a corner, their feet pounding against the pavement. Just as they ducked behind a street vender's booth, the guards started to fire at them. Quickly they turned another corner only to find a dead end. "What is this?" Jason turned to Lex with wide eyes as a truck pulled up and more uniformed guards jumped out. Knowing there was nowhere to go, with guns and flashlights pointed at them, they both put their hand above their heads in the universal sign of surrender.

She stared out the window watching the clouds and the blue ocean below go by. She had so many thoughts and emotions running in her head, that fear of what she might actually find was the furthest thing from her mind.

Clark sat next to her looking at the map and other drawings of famous landmarks in China. One drawing in particular of a Chinese temple with what looked to be Kryptonian symbols above the door held his interest. His curiosity asking her, "How did Lionel know these symbols were about you?"

Continuing to look out the small window, she answered, "There are two answers to that question, and they're both three times zones away." Clark stood up, thinking about what was in the drawings, and she turned towards him. Sighing, "Clark, um, I'm sorry. I-I feel like you're the only person in my life right now who doesn't have an agenda." That thought alone wanted to make her laugh, or cry. She wasn't sure.

"Lana, whatever their motives are, I'm sure they still care about you."

She shook her head, "That still doesn't change the fact that everybody seems to know more about me than I do."

He agreed. He knew all to well. "It must be scary to think that someone out there has a plan for you, but you don't know what it is yet."

Lana nodded, "Ever since that tattoo appeared, I feel like I've been walking around with this huge secret, like everybody only knows what's on the surface, but there's something inside of me that's so much more powerful." The thought of it being Isobel scared the hell out of her.

"And you're afraid if people know about that part of you, they'll see you differently."

"How could they not?" Then she got quiet. She thought about how Jason had been shocked for a few moments, but then how he had accepted it. And how much closer they had become because of it. Until now, that was. She sighed and then decided to change the subject. "So, um, what'd your parents say about coming to China?"

"Nothing," he said sitting back down. "I didn't tell them. I left them a message."

She felt bad for sort of dragging him into this, "It's funny. The two people I ended up trusting are Lionel Luthor and you." If it wasn't for the situation, she would have probably laughed like crazy at the thought. Her gaze shifted back out the window and to the clouds moving by once again.

He looked out the small, bared, tiny window. A small amount of yellowish daylight streaming in. They had been roughly ushered into this dark, musty, and very dirty holding cell a while ago. Or at least that's what he thought it was in this temple they were in. He turned back to Lex, whom was crouched on the floor, and leaning back against the hard wall. "Well, boss, got any idea what we're doing here?"

"Well, since they took the map and brought us to the temple, I'm guessing they're after the same thing we are."

The word Duh came to mind, but he suppressed it. "You're pretty anxious to make me your sidekick, aren't you?" Sidekick? Riiiighhht. Why should he have to be the sidekick? Lex is the one that basically got them spotted. Then for some reason 'Always the sidekick, never the hero' sprung into his head briefly.

"Don't you think it's time we dropped the stalemate of who knows what, and do whatever we can to get out of here?"

Jason was about ready to lose it. He waved his hand at Lex, "If you want to start spilling our guts, you go first."

"Okay," he said as he stood up. "We both know my father had every inch of this place scoured and he didn't find the stone." He moved towards him. "Come on, Jason. You wouldn't have lied to Lana and come all the way here unless you knew the secret to reading that map."

He shook his head, "No, I lied to Lana to protect her."

Lex smiled, "Oh, right. I forgot. Lana's new self-appointed hero. She seems to have a way of attracting them."

Jason nodded, "Yeah, it looks that way." He hated to admit just how many men seemed to be protective of his girlfriend.

Looking towards the door and at the symbols painted there. Symbols much like those back on the cave walls in Smallville. He turned back to Jason, "I don't believe you're that naïve. You're either being used by my father or your mother. Who's ever pulling the strings, don't think for a second they won't sacrifice Lana. In the end, I have a feeling I may be the one protecting Lana from you."

He gave Lex a hard look and turned away moving back towards the window. The replay of the nightmare he had before turning in his mind. The nightmare where he had told Lana that no one could protect her from him. The nightmare where she had stabbed him, killed him. He closed his eyes. Telling himself it was just some strange thing from the chemicals at LuthorCorp that had affected him. But the more he saw, the more it worried him. Was it a nightmare, or was it a premonition?

But before he could continue with that thought, the cell door flew open and two guards entered with their guns drawn. One went over and hit Lex over the head with his gun, knocking him to the ground. The other continued to have his trained on Jason. He quickly put his arms up, not wanting to take the same wrath. The other guard dragged Lex to his feet and pulled him out of the cell. The second guard backed up through the door, locking it behind him, leaving Jason all alone with the sound of Lex's screaming coming from the hall. "Where are you taking me!"

They had finally gotten out of the airport and where moving their way through the crowded Chinese streets. Both faces showing their wonder at the city around them. "It's hard to believe we were driving by cornstalks this morning."

Lana smiled, "We are definitely not in Kansas anymore."

Clark nodded his agreement as they continued to walk down the street passing other pedestrians and vendors. "So how are we supposed to find this professor…" He was cut off by a man on a bike, almost knocking Lana over. He quickly pulled her away, and held her close.

They looked up into each other's eyes, and she saw the old, yet familiar look he gave her. She pulled away awkwardly and they started walking again. "Um, Lionel said to just take this street, uh, until we find a green rooster."

"You know, Lana, I'm not sure we should trust this woman. Maybe we can do this on our own."

She smiled back at him, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you spoke fluent Mandarin and knew your way around Shanghai." Just then she saw it. She tapped him on his shoulder and pointed towards a shop with a green rooster sign hanging just beside the door. Seconds later the door opened and a Chinese woman walked out of the shop and towards both of them.

"Miss Lang, Mr. Kent. I'm glad you guys made it here safely. Do you have the map?"

The group started walking down the street and Clark handed her the map from his coat pocket. Happily the woman looked over it. "I never really believed this existed. You have no idea how many fortune hunters have searched for this map." She began to study it as they continued to walk.

"The temple seems to be located at the fork of a river," he told her.

"That's odd. There's no river there. But these symbols, they match those on the temple wall."

"So you know where it is," Lana chimed in.

She smiled, "I know the place well. There's no mistaking that symbol."

"Are you sure that this is the only temple with these kinds of markings?" Clark inquired.

She nodded, "On this continent anyway. That's all part of the temple's mystique." They all stopped as she continued, "There's a myth that claimed an all-powerful god that came from another world and hid a treasure there. The god left some kind of map to it. But the map was stolen centuries ago by European bandits. As far as we know, they never found the treasure."

This is what they had been looking for. The story was just too close to what she already knew not to be. "Can you take us to it?"

"Of course. But don't show this to anyone. As long as the stone is still out there, there are fortune seekers who are willing to kill for it." She quickly handed the map back to Clark. "We need to be careful. Other people may know you're here." He put the map back into his coat, and the three started to walk once again.

He was pacing. He couldn't help it. He ran his hands through his hair as he walked, back and forth. They had been gone awhile. He looked over at the window again, and again tried to pull at the bars. All he could do was wait. Wait for whatever they would do to him next.

The sound of the door opening and a loud groan had him turn to find the two guards dragging Lex back into the cell and throwing him inside. Lex staggered forward and ran into Jason. His body sweating and bottom lip bleeding.

"Lex." Jason said looking down at him. But he didn't get a chance to say more as the guards grabbed onto him and pulled him towards the door. Both yelling at him in a language he didn't understand. "Lex!" He screamed, as he struggled to get away.

"Look, tell them whatever they want to know. This isn't worth dying over!" Lex yelled back at him. One guard pushed Jason down the same hallway they took Lex, but the other one remained in the cell, still pointing his gun a Lex. When the sounds of Jason struggling vanished Lex got up and wiped his lip. "Just scare him," he told the other guard. "Find out what he knows, but don't hurt him."

He was surprised when another guard came in and spoke, "I'm sorry, Mr. Luthor, I can't make such a promise."

"We had an agreement," Lex ground out.

The guard smiled, "There are people who have more money than you." With that he jabbed him in the stomach with a nightstick. He groaned in pain and the two guards grabbed him and pushed him out of the cell.

"I never wanted anyone harmed!" he yelled as he tried to pull away, but they weren't listening. His fears already becoming greater as he could hear the sounds of Jason screaming, getting louder and louder.

To be continued.

Please review – Thank you!


	13. Chapter 13

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 13

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

EMAIL: http/webpages. (Jensen)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: Okay, this one is a little longer. Forgive the whole crouching tiger, hidden dragon thing. I swear… it was the show… not me. ;)

The group of three were walking through the large hallway of a familiar looking temple. The Chinese woman almost seemed to be giving a tour of the place. "During the cultural revolution, the government destroyed most of the ancient temples. But for some reason, they protected this one. Maybe because it's always been shrouded in superstition. Villagers have refused to cross the threshold, fearful that the god will one day return as he promised." She continued to walk, leading the American pair into a worshipping room.

Clark looked around at the paintings and carvings on the walls. He stopped at one, taking longer to look at a growling dragon. But what held his interest were the circular groves in the wall, large enough that a person could step through. Red Kryptonian symbols had been painted on them. His X-ray vision told him there was a statue on the other side.

"Clark, did you find something?"

He turned quickly, "Just more symbols. Why don't you two keep searching around? I'll look more in here."

The woman turned to Lana and pointed, "This way." She gave Clark a curious look, and then left with the woman. "There's another chamber in the east wing."

The two started to walk down another hallway, until they both stopped hearing something ahead, "What was that?" They looked around nervously. Just then many guards rushed around the corner towards them.

"Run, Lana!"

But before she could move, two guards grabbed her, pushing her to her knees. Another man grabed the other woman, and quickly broke her neck, her body falling to the ground. The third guard moved behind Lana with his gun. Slowly he moved the gun up her slightly exposed back, showing her tattoo. He yelled at the other men, and they pull her to her feet, dragging her down the hallway past the dead woman as she screamed and thrashed against them.

He struggled against the guards as they dragged him into the dark room. His wrists put into chains, his shirt ripped from his body. "I don't know anything!" He screamed at them as they secured the chains above his head, his feet barely able to touch the floor. His shoulders wanted to pull out of their sockets as they stretched over his head.

"That is not true," one of the guards said, finally speaking English.

"Listen. I don't know…" He was cut off with a crack of a whip to his side. He let out an unexpected scream of pain. He could feel the trickle of blood already start to travel down his side.

"If you knew nothing, you would not be here." Jason could not argue with that logic. The guard pulled out the map, "What do you know about this?"

"Nothing."

The guard looked at one of his men, and Jason felt a hard blow to the side of his head.

"What. Do. You. Know."

He gave him a hard look. "Nothing." A harder hit came this time, and now he could feel a slightly thick liquid run down the side of his face. He then saw another man move in with a pair of jumper cables towards him. Connecting them to the chains above him.

The main guard picked up the other end that held a drenched sponge. "Now… Where does this map lead?"

Jason's eyes got big as he saw the guard walk towards him with the jumper cable, his eyes darting to the other one turning on the electrical current. "I don't know." He ground out. His eyes closed as the sponge hit him and the current zapped through his body. His mouth and lungs betraying him in a scream of horrible pain.

"Where?" He was asked again. But he didn't have an answer, and again he was rewarded for his silence. The laughter ran through his ears as the searing heat ran through his body.

He was barely conscious when he heard the sound of another person struggling, being tied up next to him. His eyes barely opened to notice the bald man next to him. His brain partially comprehending that he was arguing with them. That they were questioning him too. An image of a flick of a whip. The sound of someone else screaming. The guards concentrating on someone else long enough for his brain and body to start to come back once again.

Blood could be seen through the unbutton shirt, dripping down Lex's chest. His head was bobbing and sweating from the beating. His brain almost unconscious. Giving up on him, the guards turned back to Jason. "What do you know?" he was asked again.

"NOTHING!" he screamed back at the guard. Only to have another one press the electrified sponge to his chest again. His body convulsed with the electricity, as they turned up the voltage.

After what seemed like hours, but was really only moments, the main guard spoke, "Enough." They turned off the electricity and he walked up to Jason. Holding the map and shoving it in Jason's face as his other hand grabbed him by his hair and forced him to look at it. "Tell me where this leads to." He didn't respond to the question and just held the guards eyes coldly. The guard's eyes moved from Lex and then back to Jason. "Do you really think your friend will have such strong will?" He then turned to his guards and they moved the jumper cables to Lex.

Lex's eyes widen, "No." But the sponge hit his chest and he instantly screamed in pain.

The guard yelled at him, "Where is the stone?" But Lex just continued to scream. "Where is the stone! Where is the stone!" He still screamed, and the guard motioned for the other to stop. He shook his head at the two men, "I hope your young friend will have more sense than you."

With a shout in Chinese, two more guards dragged Lana into the room, kicking and screaming in their grasp.

Jason's heart about riped from his chest, his eyes wide. "No! Lana!" Nooooooooo his mind screamed as his body struggled to get free.

"No! Leave her alone!" The man next to him yelled as well.

The guards force her into a metal chair, and strap her arms down.

"Lana!" Jason screamed again, continuing to struggle. "No! No, no!" He couldn't believe she was there. He couldn't believe they had her. This was not supposed to happen.

The guards connected the jumper cables to the arm wrest as she protested, "No, I don't know anything!"

"She has nothing to do with this!" Lex screamed at them.

The guard smiled, "Maybe not."

"Leave her alone!" He yelled at them once again. The guard touched the sponge to Lana's arm and turned up the voltage. "Lana!"

"Noooo!" Jason screamed, his whole body lifting from the floor as he tried to get away.

Lana screamed through her clenched teeth, her body starting to convulse, then almost in un-human speed her head become a blur. All of a sudden she was perfectly still. It seemed as if a soft wind moved through the room blowing at her hair. Her eyes closed, her body perfectly peaceful, she started to chant in Latin. "Mitere meus animam." And with that her eyes burst open. Purple swirling in their depths.

Jason and Lex watched, frightened into pure silence, both knew what had happened.

"Liberate!" she yelled and a flash of purple light flashed through the room knocking the guards unconscious. She broke the binding on her wrists and stood up. She picked up the map from one of the fallen guards and calmly walked over to the two men.

She smiled at the two of them, "Did you really think I would let any harm come to this body I possess?" Her grin got wider, "You two again."

She walked over in front of Jason, "Isobel," he said almost as a question as he looked into her eyes.

Isobel ran Lana's hand, or her hand now, over Jason's face. "You are a resilient lad, aren't you? So earnest, and yet so tragically doomed to pay for the sins of your ancestors." He swallowed at her look, at her statement.

"Lana, if there's any part of you in there…" Lex was cut off as she turned towards him.

"And you, greedy boy." She put her hand around his neck, threatening him. "I can only imagine what mischief you would cause were you to unite the stones of knowledge." She moved away from the two men bound in chains. "Too bad that neither of you could see what was right I front of you all along." She opened the map, showing it too them. "It was never a map." She smiled and turned away from the two of them dangling there as she grabbed a long red robe pulling it on.

The two men tried to free themselves but stopped at the sound of someone coming.

"Clark!" Lex yelled once he recognized him.

Isobel turned around quickly and sent a shot of pure purple energy from her hand towards him. It hit him squarely in the chest and he was flung backwards, landing hard on the floor, unconscious. She walked over towards him, and patted the side of his face. "You put up a better fight last time." With that she stood back up and walked out of the basement.

The two men struggled at the chains, both yelling Clarks name, hoping he would wake up soon. Finally his eyes opened and he got to his feet. Fortunately finding a convenient pair of bolt cutters just sitting out he moved over to the pair.

"Clark, what are you doing here?" Lex asked as Clark cut his chains. His body fell to the floor with a loud grunt.

"I could ask you the same thing." He said as he moved towards Jason.

"How could you put Lana in the middle of this?" He asked as his chains were cut. "I swear, Clark, if anything happens to her…"

Clarks angry voice cut him off, "She's here because you lied to her."

The two men glared at each other as Lex stated, "I get the feeling Lana can handle herself right now."

Jason's jaw clenched, "If Isobel gets her hands on that stone, there's no telling what's gonna happen to Lana."

"Clark, if there's anything you know that we don't…"

He swallowed, "I think I found something." He motioned for them to follow him. Jason rolled his shoulders and picked up his torn shirt, trying to pull it back on over his bruised and battered chest. The two men stumbling after Clark and into the chamber that had the statue, now exposed in the open wall.

Clark stood away from the statue, and pointed towards it. The pair stare and move slowly towards it. "Clark, how did you just stumble on this when my father had this placed searched from top to bottom?"

"What do you want me to say Lex? It's obviously been here a long time."

Lex reached out and touches the statue, and turned back to Clark noticing his distance. "Don't you want to take a look at this?" He got no answer.

Jason looks at statue, his eyes looking over the green stone eyes and then to the embroidery on the jacket covering it. "Hang on…" He moved over to Clark. "Let me see the map." Clark just looked at him blankly for a moment. "Let. Me. See. It."

He sighed and took the map out of his jacket and handed it to him. Jason unfolded it, and moved back to the statue.

"Well?"

He looked from the map back to the statue and shook his head. She was right. "Gus, this isn't a map to the temple. It's a drawing of the temple through the tree." He held the map up to the jacket. The map and the picture on the front were identical. What seemed to be a long river was actually a tree trunk.

"That's why no one could find the stone here. But from this perspective, the background goes on for miles. It could be anywhere."

"What if it's not in the background? Think about it." Clark told them, "The artist would have been standing right where you are. What if it's located there at the base of the tree?"

The two men turned back to the statue in thought, just as a piercing noise filled Clarks ears. His hands covered them from the pain. Seeing the other two looking at the statue he zoomed out of the building.

Her dark hair and long red jacket blew in the wind as she stood at the base of a familiar looking tree trunk. She folded the picture back up and put it away. She opened her left hand and red rose petals slowly fell to the ground as she began to chant in Latin once again.

A Kryptionian symbol appeared in the soil. She waved her hand over it, and the ground began to move and separate. Orange light and smoke moved out of the hole and a small horse like statue was pushed up out of the dirt. She picked it up, staring at it. She then walked towards a bidgrock and quickly brought the statue down onto it hard, shattering it into pieces.

Isobel smiled as she picked up one of the stones of power, and placed it on a red silk handkerchief in the palm of her hand. She stared at it, but then it disappeared.

She turned quickly to see Clark standing there, holding the stone. She shot a bolt of energy at him. He was flung backwards and landed into a nearby bush, dropping the stone. She moved over and picked it up, wrapped it in the silk, and put it in her pocket. She hurried back to the temple, and away from Clark.

As she walked down the hallway a rush of air moved past her and Clark was standing there in front of her. She eyed him angrily, "Nobody has sacrificed as much as I have for these stones."

"They don't belong to you."

"And you think they were meant for you? They were left for nobody. The god of this temple hid them for his return." She held her arms out at her side, and two swords flew to her hands from nearby statues, as she shouted in Latin once again. Bringing the two swords together they glowed in purple and she threw one at Clark. It fliped towards him and stabbed him in the chest.

Clark stumbled backward in shock as he saw his own blood actually dripping down his jacket.

Isobel smiled as he tried to pull the blade from his shoulder. She doesn't give him much time as she leaped towards him, soaring through the air with her other sword raised. Just before she can hit him, he was able to take the other sword out of his shoulder and block her swing with it. He then dodged another attack by moving out of the way and into another hallway.

She followed him, leaping once again. The two swords struck each other. She spun around full circle striking out again. Each time the swords blocked each other. She crouched low and successfully swept his legs out from under him. He fell onto his back, but blocked her next attempt and flung her sword out of her hand and pushed her away.

She is tossed across the room, but rights herself before landing. They rushed towards each other, and this time Clark ripped the pocket of her jacket, the red silk and stone falling to the floor. She panicked as she looked down. Clark reached for it, and she grabbed his hand. A bright flash of energy passed from the stone, through Clark and then into Isobel. The current so intense they both were flung backwards from it in opposite directions. Isobel hit the close by wall, as Clark was flown into another room.

Hearing the thud both men stopped examining the room. Jason looked towards the door, "I'll go…" He left before Lex could budge. He moved into the hallway and saw Lana leaning against the wall. He ran towards her, but stopped as he saw the stone lying on the floor. He paused and then picked it up quickly, hiding it in his jeans pocket. He shook his head and rushed over to her.

Jason was almost ready to wrap his arms around her but decided better of it. Not sure exactly whom would wake up. He touched her arm lightly. "Lana?"

Slowly her eyes opened and she sat up. Confusion was evident in her eyes. "How'd we get away from the guards?"

He smiled back at her, seeing that Isobel was gone.

Clark moved back into the hallway, having heard what she said, "It was Isobel."

Her eyes widened, "What'd I do?"

He pulled his jacket closed to make sure the blood soaked shoulder wouldn't be seen as Lex entered. "Did you find the stone?"

Jason hugged Lana to him, trying not to look at the other two men.

Clark moved over to the red handkerchief, but it was empty, "It's gone."

Jason ignored them, and kissed the top of Lana's head. He looked down at her, "Are you okay?"

She nodded, "Yes. But you…"

He could tell that she was angry with him. "You can yell later. But I think we all need to get some medical help, and get out of here." She nodded in agreement as he gave her another hug, pulling her slowly to her feet.

She smiled wickedly into the embrace as a flash of purple ran through her eyes.

To be continued.

Please review – Thank you!


	14. Chapter 14

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 14

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: Well, for those of you who have seen Smallville, you will have noticed the BIG change with the show has now started. Now while some things will stay the same, because of what is happening with others. Lana's and Jason's story line will be obviously very different. This chapter is short, but I wanted to end where it did. I'll write more soon.

She pulled up to the barn, turned off the lights, and shut off the engine. Her cell phone rang again, and she looked at the incoming number. "He is persistent. I'll give him that." She ignored the sound and got out of her car. Her eyes traveled to the light coming from the loft of the barn, and a smile played on her lips. "Well, if you can't get what you want with vinegar, I guess I'll try honey." A flash of purple flashed through her eyes before she took a step into the barn.

Isobel walked up the stairs, and saw him sitting there at his computer. Her eyes scanned the screen and she wanted to laugh. This boy, with these super powers was writing an essay to get into college. How pathetic. She took a deep breath, and started her acting skills. "It's kind of hard to take college application essays seriously after the last couple of days, isn't it?"

Clark turned around, "I was just trying to figure out if hidden temples and body-snatching witches fits under 'community service' or 'extracurriculars'."

She let him have a smile at his attempted joke, "Did I come at a bad time? You seemed kind of startled when you saw me."

He stood up and moved closer to her. "No. I just, um… I thought maybe you were my parents. I've been avoiding them ever since we got back." He turned and walked towards the window.

She knew he was lying, even if he was the good little farmer boy. "And the real reason would be?"

He swallowed and then admitted, "Seeing you speak Latin and throw those guys around the room like toothpicks is kind of weird. And even when Isobel's gone, sometimes I look at you and there's a part of you I don't recognize anymore." She laughed softly. If he only knew. "What?" he asked slightly hurt.

She quickly tried to play off the memories she had of the girl he thought he was talking too. "I'm sorry, it's just that… Do you know how funny that sounds coming from you?" Yeah, and the fact that you were throwing me around too? He smiled. She knew she had him. Now it was time to get what she wanted. "Somehow, I think that the only way that I'm going to be able to put Isobel and all of… all of this other stuff behind me is if I find all three of those stones." She waited for his answer, but she didn't really like it.

"I'm sure they'll end up in the right hands."

"I hope so because right now I kind of feel like some random piece of a puzzle I'll never understand." Oh, nice. Play the sympathy card.

"Well, maybe we're not supposed to understand it just yet." She gave him a questioning look. "I get the feeling that our lives are a lot less random than we think."

"Maybe," she agreed and realized he would still need more work. "Good night, Clark." With that she left the barn and headed back to her, or Lana's apartment.

She had barely enough time to get there, and make a pot of tea when there was a knock at her door. She rolled her eyes, and went to the door. She gave the knocker a cold stare.

He looked at her angry face and knew it wasn't going to be easy. But hopefully she would listen to him. After they had left the temple she had barely talked to him at all. He did understand why, but he needed to talk to her. To explain things. Hopefully she would listen. "Can I at least come in?"

She looked back at him, and thought about it for a minute. Might as well see what he has to say. It's not like I can really do anything to him… just yet. She opened the door fully and then walked back into the kitchen to pour her cup of tea.

He followed, closing the door behind him. "I guess I don't have to ask why I haven't heard from you since we got back from Shanghai." She didn't say anything. "I'm sorry I lied to you." He meant it.

"I don't even know which lie you're apologizing for, that you said you were in Metropolis when you were really in China or that you've been working with your mom all along." That's right, play the angry girlfriend.

Jason looked at her and sighed. "I wasn't honest about going to China because I didn't want to put you in danger. If you remember a certain torture chair, I'd say that's pretty decent foresight. You have to believe me."

She eyed him, "Give me one good reason."

He nodded, "Okay." With that he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and put it down on the kitchen counter. Slowly he unfolded it for her. Inside was the stone of power he had taken from the temple.

She looked at it in absolute shock. The stone. He had it. He took it. He's… giving it to me. Well… he thinks he's giving it to Lana.

"Is that good enough?" he asked.

Isobel still couldn't believe her luck as she moved towards it. Finally finding the words, "Jason, how did you…"

"I got there right before Lex. I saw you and Clark knocked out. And there it was right in front of me. I didn't want Lex or Clark to know about it, so I mailed it to myself from China."

She still couldn't take her eyes off it. But now for the real test. "Did you tell your mom?"

"I got it for you. All I care about is protecting you, okay? You're the only one in my life that matters to me."

She couldn't talk. Was he serious? Did he love this Lana person so much he would give her the stones if he found them? Maybe she was too hasty in her decision about him before.

He watched her staring spellbound at the stone. He smiled, "Blink twice if you can understand me."

Oh, and he has a sense of humor. Interesting. She turned towards him, and blinked twice. Giving him a large smile, she returned his deep hug, pulling him close. Hmmmm… I could get used to this. Yes, I think I prefer using honey, much more than vinegar.

To be continued.


	15. Chapter 15

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 15

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: Another short chapter, but better short than none right? Okay, some of you might not like the end of this one. For various reasons. But… I am trying to be real here. (Well, and still being totally fiction.) But I think that this would happen, so… live with it. ;)

She took another sip of her latte. Mmmm… This century just seems to be getting better and better, she thought as she leaned back on the couch in the Talon. Her eyes moved over to behind the cash register and the two talking. She waited for the older red headed woman to stop pestering her 'son.' When he turned to start to leave, she called after him. "Clark!"

He turned and with a smile on his face came over. "Lana. I'm surprised you're down here and not studying for the big test tomorrow." He gave a look at her cup, "Unless it's just a study break."

Isobel sighed internally. "Yep. You know me. Just needed to get away from the books for a minute, or I'd go insane." Was he always such a goodie goodie? How boring. All that power, and no fun? She motioned for him to take a seat and join her. He sat his book bag on the ground and sat down. "Actually, I needed to get away, my brain just doesn't want to focus on studying lately."

"Why?" he asked concerned.

"I just keep on thinking about everything that happened in China." She paused, turned to slightly bat her eyelashes at him. "Well, what I can remember of it." He nodded. "I'm still worried about everything. Those stones being out there… If they get into the wrong hands… I mean… I know they have something to do with me." She let her eyes start to tear. She could see his heart just about melting.

He didn't know what to say. He could see how upset it was making her. "Well, I'm assuming nothing can really happen unless one person has all three, right?" She gave him a questioning look. "And I'm sure that THAT has not happened, or will not happen."

She sat up a little straighter, "How do YOU know that. How can you be so certain?"

His brain flashed with the sight of him placing one of the stones in a rock ledge in the caves. "I just… have a feeling."

Isobel looked into his eyes, trying to read exactly what he was thinking. He knows something… no… he has one. She could feel it. She reached out a hand and placed it over his. "Thanks Clark. I'm sure you wouldn't lie to me about something so important to my well being." She saw the hard swallow. "So, if something bad where to ever happen… Just know, you tried your best. I mean… we're all just human right?"

"Lana?" he questioned.

She waved it away, "I'm just worried. Don't mind me." She looked down at his bag, "Besides… you have that really important test to study for." She stood up. "Wouldn't want to keep you way from that. I have to go." She quickly ran up the steps to her apartment, leaving a very uneasy Clark Kent behind.

She smiled to herself when she shut the door, and leaned against it. Her new way of doing things might take more time, but… She looked around her, or Lana's, apartment. The TV, the kitchen, all the modern things. It sure will be fun.

She jumped at the ringing of the phone. "Need to get used to that one," she said as she went over to answer it. "Hello?"

"Well, since we're talking again… I know it's a school night… But could I persuade you to put the books away and have dinner with me?"

She smiled, "I think I could be… given the right enticement. What did you have in mind?" She didn't really care. It meant she wouldn't need to cook. She had figured out how to make tea on that contraption but an actual dinner was not easy, even with the memories of her host.

Small laughter filtered through the phone. "Well I could pick you up. Get some of that wonderful lasagna and bread at the little Italian restaurant you like, and come back to my place. I do have a nice bottle of wine…"

"Mr. Teauge, are you trying to give alcohol to an underage minor? What exactly do you plan on doing?"

"Uhhh… We'll just pretend we're back in France."

"Eating Italian in France."

"I'm trying to be romantic here. Would you cut me a little slack?"

"Okay, just this once." She looked at the clock, "How long till you get here?"

"Well, that's the thing."

"What is?" She asked just as she heard a knock at her door. "Just a second," she said into the phone as she went to the door to answer it.

Upon opening the door she was greeted with, "I wasn't going to take no for an answer." She put the phone down and pulled him into the apartment with an appropriate hug response. One that she didn't seem to mind at all. He pulled back from her a little, and ran his hand down the side of her face, his eyes looking into hers with so much love. She swallowed. When had a man ever looked at her like that? She pushed the thought and the small voice of Lana's into the back of her mind, telling her it wasn't her that he thought he was looking at.

And that thought did completely disappear when his lips touched hers. But it was over much more quickly then she would have liked. "Let me get my stuff and we can go." She quickly got her purse and keys and then grabbed his arm. He led her out to his car, and she smiled. Hmmm, what was the saying she had heard lately? Oh right. Make love not war. Maybe there was a better way of getting back at Gertrude and her heirs, one with much better benefits. Her smile grew as he started the car and drove towards the restaurant, his hand coming over and holding onto hers, as he drove.

He watched her clean her plate, literally, as she dragged a piece of garlic bread over the last tiny bit of tomato sauce left on thing. Either she hadn't eaten anything all day, or that second glass of wine was loosening up her usual eating routine. "So I guess it was okay?"

She quickly looked up, "Huh?" then back down, "Oh." She smiled. "It was… alright." She took another drink from the glass. That was also really good, she thought as the taste swirled around in her mouth. Her eyes looked over to him across the little table with a pair of candles. The soft light making his eyes dance back at her. She kept trying to tell herself why she was really here. That she was looking to get the stones. But some fun couldn't really hurt? Could it?

Isobel stood up, her hand went to his arm, and tugged lightly. He stood and she pulled him into an embrace. His arms went around her, and his mouth met the skin of her neck. The small kiss he left there, made her weak in the knees, and she leaned into him. "So…" She said softly into his ear, "Can I now have dessert?"

His lips curled into a smile into her skin, "Thought you would never ask." His arms pulled her closer to him, his body moving forward, pushing her backwards towards his bed. She didn't put up a fight, instead he soon found her fingers running over his skin, under his shirt, over his chest, up his back. Her teeth lightly bit at his earlobe and he let out a small gasp. He felt her nails lightly drag down his back, and his breath caught in his throat, "Lana…" he moaned and felt her stiffen in his arms a little. He moved to look in her eyes concerned, "Are you okay?"

She shook it off. Get a grip, she thought and smiled. "Never better."

Jason's body almost shuddered at her words, the sound of her voice. But not from desire… it was a little like… deja vu. As if he had heard that before, but couldn't place it. But he didn't think about it for long, because soon her soft lips were on his, and he was lost. His hands moved to her shirt, and soon they were both ripping the clothes from each other's bodies. They tumbled onto the bed quickly. They merged their bodies together fast. They moved in a heated battle of limbs.

And when it was over, and he was holding her sleeping form in his arms, he actually wondered who had won. Because that night, was unlike the ones before. She was different. It was almost as if he had slept with a stranger. He pulled her closer to him, even though a part of him wanted to get up and go take a very hot shower.

To be continued.


	16. Chapter 16

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 16

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: If you couldn't tell… a lot of stuff is now changing. I kinda like 'bad' Lana/Isobel. She's much more interesting to write.

She tried to ignore the sound coming from her door. "Go away," she said softly and leaned her head back against the plastic pillow. Then she heard him and groaned.

"Lana? Are you alright?" Another knock. "I know you're in there. My mother saw you come in this morning. Are you feeling okay?"

She stood up and let the soapy bubbles run down her skin, as she reached for her robe. She stepped out of the tub and into a pair of slippers. She reached for a towel for her hair on the way out of the bathroom.

"Lana? If you don't answer…"

She opened the door, "If I don't answer you'll what?"

Clark swallowed, as his eyes took in her appearance in the small terry cloth robe and wet hair. "I was worried. Thought something might be wrong. You weren't at school today."

Isobel's mind raced. Right. School. Damn. "Uhhh. Yeah. I wasn't feeling too good." She moved aside and let him walk into the apartment, closing the door behind him.

"Do you need to go to the doctor?" he asked concerned, moving into the living room.

"No, no." She thought quickly, and then gave a small smile. "Jason took me this morning. That's where your mother must have seen me coming back from."

He nodded, "Good. Nothing serious I hope. You missed the test today."

"The doctor just wants me to take it a little easy. It's just…" she looked down, and then back up with sadder eyes, "It's just all the stress. I think it's wearing me down. The constant worrying." She could see guilt wash through his eyes. She sat down on the couch, and curled her legs under her, making her look small and vulnerable. "I can't concentrate. I can't sleep. Can't eat." Yeah, there you go. Lay it on.

He sat down next to her. "You can't do this to yourself. Everything… everything will be fine."

She shook her head. A small tear trickled down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly, but not too quickly. "You say that. Jason tries to tell me that. But how can you be so sure? Do you have an ancient ancestor possessing you? Do you have a mysterious tattoo that you have no memory of getting? Do you have someone important in your life that has a curse on their family that basically says you'll be the one responsible for their downfall?"

"What?"

Oh, I guess Lana didn't tell Clark about that one. Hmmm how to use this twist? "Jason is a descendent of the family that burned Isobel at the stake." His eyes grew wider. "She vowed to exterminate the whole family." She put her face in her hands, and she felt his hand rub her shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

"I just feel like fate is ruling my life. I've tried so hard to fight it. But maybe I shouldn't." She looked up at him with a tear stained face. "Maybe it's a sign that Jason and I don't belong together. Maybe fate is trying to tell me I should be with someone else." Isobel saw the look in his eyes. She knew she was on the right track. "Maybe that tattoo, that symbol means something."

"Lana… what are you saying?"

She stood up. "Maybe I should break up with Jason. Keep him safe." She turned back to Clark, "Maybe the symbol can lead me to whom I should be with. Maybe it can answer what fate has in store for me."

Bingo. She had hit the nail on the head. The look on his face was absolutely priceless. The only thing she really needed to get more information on, was why was he so sure that it was him she was talking about? What all did he know?

But she had one more problem. Would he be so willing to help her like Jason was? She barely succeeded in keeping the smile off her face from the 'help' she had received from him last night. There were major benefits to being with him. She turned back to Clark. While he definitely wasn't bad to look at, the boy was… well, just that… a boy. But little boys could easily be manipulated. Decisions, decisions.

She was so distracted with her own thoughts, she almost didn't hear him. "I've found that fate, or destiny does have a way of happening if you want it to or not."

He was actually encouraging her. "So you think I should pursue this? Look, and follow fate?" He gave a small nod. "I just don't know if I could do it alone. You've had some experience with those symbols. Do you think that maybe… maybe you could help me?" She asked with her best little girl voice she could muster.

"Of course Lana," he said as he stood up and reached for her hand. "I'll always try and help you."

She gave him a smile and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, letting her barely covered body press up against him. "Oh thank you Clark," she said into his chest. She then pulled away and faked a yawn.

"I should let you get some rest so you can feel better," he said awkwardly as he moved towards the door.

"Yeah," she agreed and opened the door for him. "I need to try and get some sleep. Maybe we can talk about this soon. Figure some things out. And I need to figure out how to tell Jason…" she let it hang. She had no plans on telling Jason anything. She only had to try and figure out how to keep the two men apart.

"Just remember. It's probably for his own good."

Isobel wanted to laugh at how hard he was trying to convince himself of that. "I know. And the sooner I do, the sooner we can both move on and be with the one we are supposed to be with. Fate. Destiny." She wanted to puke.

"Feel better," he said as he walked out of the door. "Just give me a call when you want to talk."

"I'll do that. And thanks for checking up on me. I feel better, safe, when you're around."

"I'm glad." He gave her a smile, and then said "Bye." As he walked down the steps.

She shut the door, and leaned back against it. "Men." They really were just too easy. Then she groaned. She had a feeling her bath was cold.

"It's getting late. Are you sure you don't want me to drive you home yet?" He asked into her ear, as her lips worked over the flesh at his neck. Her body was laying over his on the couch, her one hand in his hair, the other under his shirt, between their bodies. She was doing her best to distract him from his question.

"Jason, I don't need to leave just yet."

"You do have school tomorrow," he tried to remind her. That and for some reason, he wanted her to stop. He wasn't sure were the feeling was coming from, and it was starting to bother him. He loved her. He knew that. Her nails lightly scratched against the skin of his abs, making him draw in a breath. But… for some reason, he didn't want her to touch him. It just… didn't feel right. His hands went to each of her wrists and had them rest between them on his chest. "Lana. Tomorrow is Friday. I'll pick you up after school, and we can have the weekend together. I don't want you to get into trouble, and then not be able to get into the university with me this fall." That, and he really needed some time to figure out what the heck was wrong with himself.

She sighed, "Okay. You win," she sat up straddling his hips, moving her own for emphasis, "If you insist." She grinned from the groan that she received, and then stood up.

"Evil," he said as he sat up. Isobel grinned as she went to get her things. If he only knew, she thought. He grabbed his keys and followed her out of his apartment and to his car.

It was dark, as she used the key to open up the long deserted coffee shop. She had planned the timing perfectly. There was no way she was going to let Martha see her come home late with Jason. The door opened and she walked inside, Jason behind her. "You sure you have to go back home?" she asked him as they walked up the stairs to her door.

"Yeah," he sighed. She fiddled with the next key in the lock. They walked inside and she flipped the switch. They both looked stunned at what they saw around them.

"Oh, my God," she cried out.

He looked at the ransacked apartment. Chairs were tipped over. The couch cushions thrown about. Everything on the shelves had been pushed to the floor. "Hold on." He told her, as his hand indicated for her to stay in the doorway. He quickly moved to the bathroom, looking inside, and then back to her bedroom. The place was empty. He walked back to her, and shut the door, locking it. "Is anything missing?"

She looked around the room, "I don't know." She quickly ran to her dresser, looking in the jewelry box. "My jewelry is still here."

He walked over to her, "Okay, well, if nothing valuable is missing, then…" Worry washed over his entire face.

"The stone," she said in mocked dread. They both quickly ran to the fireplace.

He removed a loose brick from the base and pulled out a small box. He opened the lid, finding it empty. He looked up at her, as she stood up and walked away.

"Who else could've known it was here?"

"I don't know," she replied and began to pace.

He stood up, "Well, no one saw me take it in China."

She had to think of something, "Maybe, uh, maybe Lex or Lionel figured it out."

"Or Clark," he offered. "I mean, you always said there was a side of him that you never really knew."

Interesting. They really don't like each other. "Maybe, but… I doubt it. Clark wouldn't steal something from me. Especially like this." That was actually the truth with that little boy. She shook her head, "Lex or Lionel must have done this." She moved over to him, and into his arms. "Make this bad dream just go away." She pleaded into his chest.

"I wish I knew how," he said holding her in his arms, his eyes looked at her disheveled apartment.

"It won't go away until we find all 3 of those stones." She looked up into his eyes, "We have to get it back. Maybe they have the other ones. Maybe that's why they wanted this one so bad." He seemed to nod in agreement, his eyes looking out into the room as if he was thinking. She leaned back against his chest. "And when that's done, we can just concentrate on us."

His arms pulled her tighter to him. He hated her being afraid. He hated that someone had went through all her things. He was outraged, and he was worried. What would have happened to her if she had actually been home when they came in? He didn't want to think about it. He looked down at her, "Are you going to be okay staying here?"

She nodded, "Yeah. They took what they wanted. So I should be fine."

"Are you sure?" he asked, rubbing her shoulders.

She nodded firmly, "Why?"

"I just have a feeling I need to go and do some more 'research' at Lex's." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I'll let you know what I find." He walked over to the door. He still felt uneasy about leaving her alone, as he looked around the room. "You sure?" he asked again.

She nodded once again, "I'm sure. I have your cell number." He smiled and left quickly. She shut the door, and locked it. A large smile on her face. She groaned looking at the mess. "What a pain to clean up." Then she waved her hand in one direction, a jolt of purple energy sprang from her fingertips and Lana's belongings were back on the shelves. She moved her other hand, and another purple volt righted the cushions and chairs.

Isobel made quick work of the bedroom, and then looked at her nails. "Not too bad. Didn't even break a nail." She laughed and moved over to her window. She opened the glass, and moved out onto the fire escape. She unscrewed the cover to the pipe attached to the brick wall, and then reached inside. She pulled out a piece of fabric. Her hand slowly unfolded it. She smiled as she looked at the stone that was there. "Like I would let you out of my site."

It's not that she didn't trust Jason. She knew he would do whatever he could to keep Lana safe. But he just needed a little encouragement to try and find the other stones, and to go looking in the right places. The use of fear and the feeling of male protectiveness were always great ways of encouragement.

To be continued.


	17. Chapter 17

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 17

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

EMAIL: http/webpages. (Jensen)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: Ummm… nothing much to say. Just… same old, same old. ;)

He was furious. His blood was pumping through his veins. He blamed them for what was happening. Actually, he blamed HIM. He had convinced him to go to China. He was going to get answers from that man. One way or another.

Jason stormed through the door and into the study. He walked right over to the other man, "Luthor, where is it?"

Lionel stood there, unwavering, "Well, perhaps you can tell me what it is you want."

"You know exactly what it is I want," he ground out. "You gave me that map because you knew I'd end up in China, and you knew I'd find that stone." He walked over to the bookshelf in a huff, and started to knock the books onto the floor. Much like the things in Lana's apartment had ended up. "It was all one big calculated ploy, wasn't it?"

Lionel turned towards the outraged man, "If I had the foresight which you attribute to me, I wouldn't need any ancient artifacts to help me."

"If you've got any kind of foresight, you will let me know where that stone is right now. Otherwise, this is gonna get very ugly," he almost growled as he turned back to face him.

Lionel wasn't fazed, "Oh, so now in addition to hurling accusations, you decide to threaten me?"

Jason turned and went back to throwing things around, "You break into her apartment, you go through her private things…"

"I assure you, breaking and entering is not my style." He watches the other man continue, "Your lost treasure isn't here, Mr. Teague. You'll have to look somewhere else. Good day."

His calm attitude was too much, and Jason lost it. In a rage, he grabbed Lionel spun him around and pushed him against the bookshelf. "I'm not going anywhere, Luthor, until you give me that stone or you convince me that you didn't take it."

Two pairs of hazel, green eyes stared intently at each other. "You storm in here, you accuse me of some ham-fisted home invasion…" Jason shook him against against the shelf. "Why are you doing this? Is it an act? An elaborate diversion?"

"Don't turn this around on me!" he yelled.

Lionel eyed him, "I think we both know there's nothing stronger than the love between mother and son. Even greater than father and son."

He pushed him against the case again and then let go, walking backwards, "You're wrong. My MOTHER has nothing to do with this. This is about LANA."

The older man stood up straight, eying the younger one. He could see the strength and will in the other. "My son and you are so much a like. It seems women are your downfall. I'd be careful Jason. No matter which woman in your life you are protecting." He moved over to the couch and sat down. "Lex is out. If he has this stone, I do not know about it." He looked over at Jason again, "But I guarantee you, I do not have it."

His hands fisted and knowing he wouldn't get any answers there tonight, he turned on his heel and left. He had to get some answers, but he just wasn't sure where he could. He wasn't sure he could trust anyone. All he knew was that it sure seemed that the enemy of my enemy of my enemy of my… his head was starting to spin at the possibilities.

The next morning, Lionel sat at the computer, when a voice brought his attention back to the room. "Dad, clearly the idea of personal space is lost on you."

"Lex, one of your employees paid me a visit recently, and I wasn't clear whether it was official business or what it was." He wouldn't put it past Lex to have Jason try something like that. He stood and walked around the desk. Lex moved behind his desk. "As far as I know, our outstanding business is finished."

"Well, he… Jason Teague, that's who it was… accused me of taking something that didn't belong to me, of stealing."

Lex was becoming annoyed, "Well, it wouldn't be the first time."

"Be that as it may, the accusation was false." Lex sat down behind the computer. Lionel thought about it for a minute, "But given what's missing, I almost wish I was guilty."

Lex gave him a puzzled look, "What was it?"

"You know the answer to that question, Lex. You're the one who took it from him."

"Dad, if you want to play games, there's a deck of cards in the parlor."

Lionel shook his head, "Let's talk about games. You hire someone to travel to China to search for an ancient artifact. He finds it, he steals it, but he keeps it for himself. Then you have to steal it back from him." He laughs, "You've turned hot potato into an art form, son."

Lex was shocked, "Jason Teague found the stone?"

Lionel eyed his son for a moment, "Either you are the best con man in the world, or you are truly unbelievably naïve." Lex looked down, thinking. Lionel smiled, "Good afternoon, Lex."

Lex just sat there after the door shut behind his father. He was too stunned to move. Jason had played him. Jason had played all of them. Now the only question was… who took it from him?

"Lionel doesn't have it. I'm not sure what Lex knows," he said as it sat down on the stool next to the counter.

She poured herself a cup of tea and nodded. "He must know something though. He did give you that map… or picture… or whatever it was."

He rubbed his forehead. His head was pounding.

Isobel looked over at him, sat her cup down and walked over behind him. Her hands went to his shoulders, "Thank you for trying."

His body stiffened, and his hands came up and pulled her arms so that she moved in front of him. Effectively stopping her. "Lana… I love you. I'd do anything for you. But… something… something just doesn't seem right."

She swallowed, "What do you mean?" she asked worried.

He stood up and moved into the living room. They just had to figure all this out, and then everything would return to normal. He kept trying to tell himself that. "Something is going on here. Something even bigger. We just aren't seeing it. I can feel it."

She could feel the control she had slowly spinning out of control, she needed to distract him. She was about ready to walk over to him, but then stopped. He had been rather standoffish with the whole touchy, feely thing. She wondered if maybe his subconscious wasn't picking up something that his conscious mind wouldn't let himself believe. "Maybe we just need to take a step back. Let things happen, see how they play out." She said and turned to some mail sitting on the counter.

She heard him sigh, and with a "Yeah, maybe you're right," he sat back down. She tossed a few things onto the counter as she discarded them. "Wait."

She looked up to him holding a card, "Yeah?"

Jason looked at her strangely, "Why didn't you tell me this was coming up?"

Isobel tilted her head, to try and see what it was, and to read it. "What? Prom?"

His eyes got bigger. Was she really that distracted by everything that she forgot it? "I thought you would want to go."

Her heart raced. This was not good. There was no way she could let Clark and the others know that she was still with Jason. "I just don't think I want to go."

He sighed and his shoulders slumped. "It's because of me, isn't it?" He felt horrible.

"What?" she asked confused.

"You don't want to go because it would look bad for you to show up with the ex-assistant coach. And you also don't want to go alone."

That hadn't been her reason, but she sure as hell was going to use it. "Well…" she trailed off.

He closed his eyes, and then stood up. He walked over to her, and wrapped his arms around her, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"If you want us to go, I will."

She shook her head, "No, can you imagine that entrance?" He cringed. "Exactly."

"Well… maybe some of your other friends might go alone. Singles do go in packs. You could still have fun."

Isobel smiled. Hmmm… She could still go… maybe even with Clark, without Jason knowing. Really play up that whole fate thing. Prom was supposed to be 'special' right? The thought made her stomach turn. But what choice did she have. This wasn't the Middle Ages anymore. Using her powers didn't have the same effect and fear. She had to use other methods. "Maybe… you wouldn't mind?" she asked sweetly.

He smiled and turned her around, "Hmmm… you all dressed up, dancing with a bunch of your friends. I think I could be okay with that." She let out a squeal of happiness for effect and jumped out of the kitchen to go get her purse. She grabbed it and then moved to the door, indicating he exit. "What?"

"Well… I need to go shopping. Do you know how late it is to be looking for a dress now?"

Jason smiled at her hyperness, and let out a breath. Okay, that was a little more normal. "Well, you have fun." He kissed the top of her head and walked out the door. She watched him go and her eyes scanned the crowd, she groaned, and then quickly moved down the steps to intercept what was a confrontation that she didn't want to have happen. "Clark…" she said walking right up to him, as the door shut behind Jason.

He looked from her to the door, and then back again. "I thought the two of you…"

She cut him off. "I did," she gave him a sad look. "He just doesn't want to believe it. He tried talking me out of it. But it didn't work. I'm moving on."

"Oh. Well… that's good I guess."

"Yeah… and as a first step of moving on. I've decided to go to Prom. Do you happen to know of anyone that doesn't have a date yet?" she smiled at him.

"Uhhh… well… If you want too…" he seemed like he was having trouble to get the words out.

She wanted to roll her eyes, but she just prompted him, "Yes?"

"I don't have any plans yet."

"Really?" she asked, "I'm shocked." Yeah, totally stunned. Right. She grinned, "Well Clark… would you mind?"

"Mind? I'd love to take you to prom."

"Then it's a date. I'll see you at seven." She turned and headed back up the steps to her apartment leaving Clark with a goofy grin on his face.

To be continued.


	18. Chapter 18

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 18

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: It's short. But it's all I have time for right now. More soon!

He drove his car down the driveway and noticed the guards standing all around the forest area. Something was up. He pulled over and got out of the car. Seeing the man he had originally come to question, he moved over to him. He was kneeling next to a mound of dirt and talking to one of his guards.

As Jason got closer he heard Lex ask, "How long has she been dead?"

He moved more quickly to the spot as the guard answered, "At least a day."

"Lex?" Jason asked, and then he saw it. A female leg was sticking out of the mound of earth. "Oh, my God."

The other man stood up, "Jason, what are you doing here?"

He tried to move his eyes from the body to Lex. Finally he answered, "I came to ask you some questions. Answers that your father wouldn't or couldn't give. But I guess now I might have even more for you." He pointed at what was visible of the body.

The guard came back to Lex and handed him a dirty wallet. "We found this, sir. We got an ID."

Lex ignored Jason as he opened the wallet. It contained a New York driver's license with the picture of one… "Bridgette Crosby."

The name sounded familiar, "I know that name. I've come across it several times in my research. She works for Virgil Swann, the billionaire."

Lex's jaw tensed, "Look, this doesn't concern you."

"If it has anything to do with the artifacts, it concerns me."

The older man turned to his guards, "Edwards, Lowe, will you please escort Mr. Teague to his car?"

Jason didn't move for a minute and glared at Lex, he then saw the guards move in. He squared his shoulders and then moved away, knowing that nothing would be accomplished from talking with Lex, especially in the presence of so many other people.

As he drove back down the driveway on his way out, he picked up his cell phone. About ready to dial, and then he stopped. "No. Not today." He said out loud. He wasn't going to call her today and ruin it for her. She was getting ready for the prom tonight. She was going to have fun. He was not going to ruin this one day for her. He would see what information he could get and then tell her afterwards.

She pinned the last flower into place. She really hoped all the work was going to be worth it. Looking at herself in the mirror she sighed. A white dress, with white flowers in her hair. She looked so… innocent. She laughed at that one. This body may have been innocent the first time she possessed her, but it wasn't the second time, and it sure as heck wasn't while she was in charge. She was resisting the urge not to zap it to a nice deep red or midnight black. But that wouldn't go for the effect she was looking for.

Isobel sighed when the phone rang. She quickly hurried into the kitchen to answer it, "Hello?"

"Do I still have to stay away? Or can I at least come and see what you look like before you head out?"

She almost laughed at the pleading in his voice. "I told you I was meeting the girls at Chloe's."

"I can drop you off."

"Jason…" she whined right back at him.

"Okay. Okay. But then you have to get a ton of pictures."

She rolled her eyes, "Agreed." Then she changed the topic, "How is everything going?"

"I haven't been able to talk to Lex yet. He's got something interesting going on right now. I'll be checking into that too. I'll let you know later what I find out."

She smiled. It was nice having someone else do her work for her. They would need to get together later that night to discuss what he found out. Her smile got even bigger, "Sounds good. Want me to call when I get back? I could stay all dressed up…" She trailed off.

"Wouldn't you be wanting to get out of all that after that long dance?" he asked.

"Well… you could help me with that." She heard his deep swallow over the phone, and her smile widened.

"I might be able to."

"Okay, I'll call when I get home. But I have to go finish getting ready."

"Okay, bye Lana."

"Bye," she replied and hung up. Maybe the night was looking up. After she got back from Blandsville, maybe she could really have some fun and find out some good information too. She looked at the clock. Only a few more minutes and he would actually be there. She gathered up everything that was 'needed,' and than sat on the bar stool. She watched the clock, and she just knew… just knew that exactly at 7 o'clock there would be a…

Knock. Knock.

So predictable. She walked towards the sound, plastered a huge smile on her face, and opened the door. And there he was. Black tux, white shirt, and red cumber bun.

"Lana…" he could barely talk. She looked breathtaking. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you. You looking very handsome." He did. She wouldn't deny that. But there was a difference between handsome and sexy. It was an attitude, and that little boy innocence of his just sucked the sexiness out of the room.

She motioned him inside, and they each pinned on each other's respective corsages. She quickly grabbed her belongings and he helped her out the door, and down the steps only to be bombarded with flashes of light. Isobel looked over and there they were. The Kents. Martha with camera in hand.

"Mom… please."

"Oh, Clark. Stop. We want some pictures." She turned to Isobel, "Now Lana. Look over here." She turned back to Clark, "Stand closer."

"Put your arm around her," Jonathan chimed in.

Clark put his arm around her, and she smiled as the flash bulbs went off. She smiled so hard she thought her face might break. Luckily he seemed to be as uneasy about the whole thing as she was, because he was trying to get them out the door. Soon they were, and he helped her into a very nice sports car. She looked at him funny as he sat in the driver seat.

"Lex wanted to get us a Limo, but I refused. So, as a compromise, he loaned me a car."

That made sense. Because she knew farm boy could not have afforded this bad boy. That, and the car really didn't suit him. She had been surprised they weren't actually taking his truck. She began to wonder what else she could get Clark to get from Lex. Her thoughts were on that very subject the whole drive to the school.

As he parked the car, he looked over at her. She had been quiet. Too quiet. "Lana… are you okay?"

She shook her head, "Huh? Oh, yeah. Just…" She tried to think, "Just wondering what the gym looks like." She turned and smiled at him. He smiled back, got out of the car, and moved over to her side, opening her door. With that she took his arm and they made there way into the music filled high school.

To be continued.


	19. Chapter 19

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 19

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: Another short one, but it's up!

For being a large mansion, with tons of security, the place was surprisingly easy to get into. The room was dark except for the light coming from the laptop computer. Jason's fingers nimbly glided over the keys, as he searched through the logs of LuthorCorp's intranet. He didn't know if it was just luck, or stupidity on Lex's part for having forgotten to log off the last time he used his own computer. But he wasn't going to questions the gods of fate, as he continued to look and make his way to Lex's email.

Finding a message from one Bridgette Crosby, he clicked on the message, and began reading. Moments later the door opened. His eyes looked up to find Lex. He didn't move, and he didn't even try to explain his appearance there. Both men knew what was going on.

"Find anything interesting," Lex asked as he walked towards his desk.

Jason nodded, "Yeah, as a matter of fact, I did."

"You've crossed the line, Jason." He said calmly, "I take my privacy very seriously."

He sat back and the chair and looked at the older man, "And I take murder very seriously. It says here that you sent e-mail to Bridgette Crosby."

"I never denied I knew her."

He stood up and walked towards him as he continued, "Confirming a meeting between the two of you here at the Luthor mansion on the same morning she was found face down in the dirt."

"Well, Miss Crosby never showed up for that meeting," he said as he walked over to his bar and poured himself a drink.

"You mentioned an item in your e-mail. I assume you're talking about an artifact. What were you gonna do? Were you gonna buy it from her? Or were you gonna take it with force?"

Lex took a drink, and then, "I don't need to explain myself to you, Jason."

He shook his head, "No, but you're gonna have to explain it to the police."

"Look, I have no interest being in the middle of a murder investigation I had nothing to do with. Not to mention the media circus that comes with it."

"There was a dead body found on your property, Lex. It's kinda hard to ignore."

He swallowed another bit of the amber liquid, "Trust me, I'm not."

Jason looked at him for a moment, trying to figure it out. "Who are you trying to protect? You? Your father?"

"Burying bodies in the backyard isn't exactly a hobby of mine, Jason."

He smiled back at him, very doubtful of that. "Yeah, well, covering up a homicide isn't exactly a hobby of mine. I think I'll go have a chat with the sheriff." With that he left the study and headed to his car. Pulling out his cell phone he called Sheriff Adams as he sat in his car. "Hello, Sheriff. Yeah, this is Jason Teague. Ummm… I think there is something you need to see at the Luthor Estate."

A couple hours later she was there and the two of them were walking through the dark trees towards the spot he had seen the body. His flashlight moved over the ground to the area. "Over here, Sheriff." But there wasn't anything there. "Wait a second. The body was right here. It was right next to this rock." He looked up at an old-looking gazebo. "They must have just built this gazebo."

She looked at a map of the grounds, "Well, according to the county records, the gazebo has been on this property before the Luthors bought it."

He shook his head, "Sheriff, I know what I saw!"

"Uh-huh, the dead and decaying body of one Bridgette Crosby." She sighed, "Mr. Teague, I'll level with you. A good murder mystery is just the kind of thing I could use right about now. The thing is, you can't have a murder without a victim, and see, this Bridgette Crosby, there's no record she ever existed."

He did a double take, "This is crazy. Of course she existed."

"Before I came, I did a search. Every government database from the IRS to the PTA happens to disagree with you. I even went on one of those Google searches. It kept asking me if I meant 'Bing' Crosby."

"The gardener. The gardener found the body. Did you question him?"

"I questioned the entire landscaping staff."

"It's Lex. He's paid them off or he's intimidating them."

"Or you're yanking my rope. Mr. Teague, the next time you say there's been a killing, I better see a stiff."

He shook his head at her, and then looked back at the gazebo. He didn't know what to say. He just followed the Sheriff back to their cars and watched her drive away. He got into his car as he pulled out his cell phone. He had one last place to go for some answers, and he really didn't want to.

He sighed as she picked up, "Hello, mother." He decided to try and see what she would say. "So, it looks like Lex took care of the body you left for him. My only questions was when you might have wanted to fill me in on this." He heard the pause, and his fists clenched. Why did he have to be right?

"Jason… listen…" she started.

"I don't want to listen!" He was outraged, "You will do ANYTHING to get these stones won't you?"

"Our safety…"

He closed his eyes. "You have it. The stone Bridgette had. Don't you."

"Jason… please…"

"DON'T YOU!" It was more of an accusation then it was a question.

"As long as we have one, we'll be safe. And once we get the other two…"

He shook his head, "See. That's just it. You aren't happy with just one. One to be safe. You want them all too." He shook his head and hung up the phone. He took a deep breath. So his mother had one, not two. Which meant she didn't have the one that was stolen from Lana. He hated the idea that his mother had one. But at least, if she had it, he knew someone didn't have all of them.

"That manipulating… that…" She was his mother. But he actually wished he could turn her in for it. Oh, he was sure she didn't do it herself. That wasn't her style. But, who would believe him? The sheriff obviously wouldn't. He didn't trust Lex or Lionel.

He took a deep breath and started up his car. He needed to talk to Lana about this. Maybe together they could figure something out. He looked at his watch. It was getting late. The dance would be starting to slow down. Then a small smile crossed his face. Maybe it was late enough that he could sneak in, and catch a dance with her. His smile grew at the thought, as he tried not to think about everything else that was going on.

Her feet were killing her. The punch was… well, it wasn't spiked. If it was, the party might have been more enjoyable. The music left much to be desired. And her date… she sighed. Farm boy… could… not… dance. Oh, he could sway like the best of them, but that was it.

She was beginning to think that this really was not as good of an idea as she had originally thought. The music was too loud for her to talk to him and try and weasel the location of the one stone out of him. But she stuck with it. Because at the very least, she was getting him to trust her, and feel secure with her. He'd have to give in at some point. Using her powers just did not work on him. And there was still the possibility that he was the only one that knew where it was, so him being dead or unwilling to tell her, did her no good at all.

Isobel sighed, and leaned her tired head against his shoulder. The very least he could do with all this dancing his support her tired frame. She really just wanted to go home. She smiled and gave a contented sigh at the thought of later. Maybe she could get Jason to give her a massage. Mmmmmmm, her mind wandered as her and Clark swayed to the loud yet slow music.

What she didn't see, and what she didn't notice was the person of her thoughts coming in through the gym doors and looking out into the crowd. He scanned the tables for the girls. Since it was a slow song, he highly doubted they would be dancing out there together. But catching Chloe and Lois sitting at the table alone, his eyes moved to the punch bowl and food. Surprisingly empty. He then looked over the dance floor, and he swallowed.

There she was, dancing with Clark. He could have dismissed her dancing with him, they were friends after all. But, it was the way they were dancing that tore at his heart. She had her head on his shoulder, their arms around each other. And it was NOT friendly. It didn't help that Clark was resting his face on the top of her head either. Not to mention the dopey, yet happy expression he wore.

A huge part of him wanted to storm over to both of them and ask what the hell was going on. But he couldn't do it. He couldn't do it here, to her, with everyone around. No, instead he'd he would head back to her place, and wait. Wait for her to explain. Wait and see if she would bring Clark home or not. Wait and see what would happen on that front porch. With that he left the gym, telling himself again and again, that it was 'just' a 'dance.'

Just a dance…

To be continued


	20. Chapter 20

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 20

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: hehehe, I had fun with this one! There is still a lot to go. Hope you guys all stay with it. (The few of you who are reading this.) Hint… you could tell others that this Smallville fic is actually okay… ;) lol

It was late. She wanted to go. She wanted to go, now. Her eyes scanned the almost empty room. The so-called 'geeks' had already made it a night. The couples and other 'popular' groups had already left, for the local motels, more than likely. Which left the awkward groups. The few who wanted that one last dance. For this oh, so perfect night to never end.

Isobel sighed. She thought the night would NEVER end. She was beginning to wonder, if the stones were really worth all this trouble. Then a smile came over her face. Once she got her hands on all three, she would make everyone pay for making her go though this night of torture.

"Your punch."

She almost jumped at the sound of his voice. "Oh, thanks." She looked up and took the glass from Clark. She had forgotten that she had asked for some so that she could sit down and get away from him for a minute. She took a few obligated sips, and then looked up. "Clark?"

"Yes?"

"Ummm… I don't want to be a…" She stopped, and tried to think of what the exact terminology was. Lana's knowledge sprang to her mind, and she continued, "party pooper. But… I'm exhausted."

He smiled back at her, "Yeah, it is pretty late. Do you want to go home?"

She just about laughed at the tone of voice to his question. She could tell that he didn't want to take her home. But exactly what was this goody goody REALLY going to try for tonight? "If you wouldn't mind."

"No problem," he said and offered her his arm. She took it and stood. They made their quick goodbyes, and he escorted her out of the gym and to the car.

She stood at the table, pruning one of her plants as the door opened behind her. She didn't turn to look whom had come into her hotel room. She already knew. Could tell by the scent of the cologne.

"Genevieve. You know, I'm not accustomed to being summoned like a lapdog."

She grinned, "Don't be silly, Lionel. I'd never allow you on my lap… again. We all know how that turned out."

His hazel eyes danced as he chuckled and then replied, "So, why am I here? If not for the pleasure of your company." He dropped his jacket on the coffee table, and she turned around to face him.

"It's time to repay old debts, Lionel. Arranging your release from maximum security prison was not an easy task, and I have yet to receive even a hint of gratitude."

He smiled, "Well, I've been racking my brain trying to write a thank-you note, but words could never express the way I feel."

"Your son just returned from China with a lost element, and I would like you to retrieve it for me."

He laughed, "Only thing is. You are thinking of the wrong son. It was Jason who brought the stone back home."

"No, no," she shook her head, "Jason's incapable of such subterfuge. While he received his genes from a cunning source, he was raised by my husband's side of the family."

"Yeah, I never thought you married well." He poured himself a drink.

"But Lex, on the other hand, also grew up with you."

"You know, there were other treasure seekers in China, Genevieve," he said as he sat on the couch.

She smiled, "A farm boy, an ex-cheerleader, and Lex Luthor."

"Mm," was his only response.

"Whom do you think ended up with the prize?"

"Well, MY son hasn't been listening to me. What do you want me to do, give him a good spanking?" He chuckled and took a long drink.

She glared at him, "You know, Lionel, I don't think either one of us wants me to go after Lex myself."

He suddenly got very serious, "You be careful, Genevieve. I regard a threat to ANY Luthor as a threat to me."

"Interpret it any way you like. I want that stone, Lionel." She turned and walked back to her plant.

He finished his drink, sat it on the table and walked to the door. He turned back to her, "You should ask YOUR son. But then again, he probably wouldn't tell you." He saw the shock in her eyes. He stared at her for a moment, "The one weakness ALL Luthor men seem to have… the love of a woman." She blinked twice at his small confession before he exited the room.

He sat on the window ledge looking out into the dark. His eyes kept moving from the dark street, to the clock and then to large envelope in his hand. The longer he waited, the more he thought, the heavier his heart was getting. There was something wrong. Something seriously wrong and he couldn't figure it out.

Jason looked down at the package in his hands. It was from Central Kansas. He knew it was her acceptance letter and paperwork. They had been hoping and planning on her getting in so they could be together at the same campus in the fall. He had found it when he came into the apartment. It had been sitting on her kitchen cupboard, unopened. From the date on the letter, it must have been there a few days. It just didn't make sense.

None of this made sense. Lana hadn't been making sense. But he couldn't put his finger on it. It was like she wasn't herself. He had even entertained the notion that she had been possessed again, but had quickly dismissed the possibility because of the times that she was his Lana. She had all her memories. She answered to Lana. And his biggest clue was that he wasn't being thrown around the room.

But still, this was not her. Lana would have told him about the letter. Lana would have opened it when she got it. Lana would not have been dancing with Clark like…

His eyes went back to the street. It was past midnight. She said she would try to be home early and that he could come over. His hands gripped the envelope tighter. Unless she had went somewhere with…

His train of thought stopped as he saw a sports car pull up outside the Talon. He didn't recognize it. He squinted trying to make out who was in the car. It wasn't Chloe's or Lois's car. It also wasn't Clark's truck. But he didn't have to guess anymore when Clark got out of driver side and walked around to open the other door. His hand reached in and helped Lana out of the car.

Jason felt his heart in the pit of his stomach. His brain still trying to tell him that there was an explanation for all of it. He watched him walk her to the door. He watched him lean in and… she hugged him. He stopped breathing as he watched. As she pulled away she gave a soft kiss to his cheek. She pulled her keys from her purse as they talked a little, and then he turned and headed down the steps.

His head was spinning. He wasn't sure what to make of the whole thing. They had danced. He had driven her home. They hugged. She kissed his… cheek. What the hell was that supposed to mean? He could take it as being friends. That's what he WANTED to believe. But it could mean a lot more. He rubbed his forehead as he heard the keys in the door.

He sat at the window as he watched her walk into the dark apartment. She sat her stuff down, kicked off her shoes into the corner, and then reached for the light. He decided to catch her off guard, "I decided to surprise you."

"Jason?" She said with wide eyes, "Wow. This is a surprise." She stumbled slightly. She saw him sitting at the window. She knew he saw Clark drop her off. "I was just going to call you."

He just nodded as he stood from his spot and walked towards her. She eyed what he was holding, and pointed at it. "What's that?"

He tilted his head to the side, thinking, "You don't know what this is?" Isobel shook her head no. "Well, since it was sitting in a pile of your mail, I thought you would know what it was."

She shook her head again, and then tried to read where the letter was from. Central Kansas. Her brain suddenly caught on. The university. "When did that come?" She tried to play it off.

"Lana, we have been planning on you coming to Central Kansas with me since I got here."

"I didn't see the letter." She tried to defend herself.

He held up the thick envelope, "You didn't see this?"

"I've not been thinking that straight lately."

Jason nodded, "Uh huh. Because of Clark?"

She blinked. She knew this was coming. "So the real reason comes out." But she wasn't prepared for his next statement.

"I was at the school. I saw the two of you dancing."

Her whole will tried to make her body language not betray her shock or concern. "So?" She asked, not willing to give up anything.

"So?"

"I danced with a friend. Is that a crime?" But her whole brain was screaming at her to find out what he had seen. Was he there the whole night? Because if he was… Well, there was no explaining that.

He walked closer to her, threw the letter on the counter, "I saw the dance. It was a slow song. You had your head on his shoulder."

The dance. He had said the, as in single, not plural. She wanted to smile. She took a step towards him. "Are you going to blame me for wanting to have one slow dance with a guy at my senior prom?"

His jaw clenched. "I came to the dance, so that you could."

"But I didn't know that." She saw the wavering in his eyes. She just had to push a little bit more. "Clark is a friend. It's not like I was dancing with a stranger. We all came as friends. He danced with Lois and Chloe too." She lied through her teeth.

"He dropped you off at the door."

She continued to play through it. "He dropped Lois and Chloe off at the door too. He was sorta doing triple duty for us girls. He was being his normal, sweet, self."

Jason pulled his shoulders back, and let out a breath. It was all plausible. It could all make perfect, innocent sense. And that was the problem. Too many things lately could be one way or another.

She moved closer to him, and ran her hand up over his chest, to the back of his neck. "Jason… I left Clark at the door, and I was coming up here to call you. If that doesn't tell you anything…" She smiled up at him through her lashes, "Then maybe this will." Her hand pulled him down to her. Her lips caught his in a soft kiss. Her other hand moved up and into his hair as she deepened the kiss, and leaned her body into his.

He could feel himself giving in. His heart was yearning to believe her. Most of his brain wanted to believe her. But part of his soul was not accepting it. He pulled away slightly out of breath, "Lana… I want to believe you. But you and Clark…"

Her hands lightly moved over his cheek, "Clark and I may have been an item. A very short term item at that. But that was in the past. I'm leaving the past behind for a future." She smiled up at him. How true were those words? The past was dead and gone. She now had a new future to live. "My future involves you." That was for sure, but exactly how she hadn't yet determined.

She looked over at the envelope. "Jason. I seriously didn't know it had come." She turned on the hundred-watt smile, "I can't wait till the fall. To be at the university with you." She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him again.

His arms went around her, and he held her tight. Grasping to the belief that it was all true. He pulled back, and his hand cupped the side of her face, his eyes looking deeply into hers. Trying to see her. Trying to see her soul. See the truth. "Lana…" it seemed to almost be a question.

"Yes?" When he didn't go on, she decided to move things forward, "Now, if I remember right. You were going to help me out of this dress."

Her playful tone. The seductiveness in her eyes. She was his weakness, and she knew how to capitalize on it. His hands went to her hair, and slowly he removed the clips and the flowers. Her eyes closed at the soothing and loving way his fingers moved in her hair. She was surprised at the jealously that it brought forth in her. Because even though he was doing this to her, he was actually doing it to Lana. But she refused to think like that. Especially when his lips traveled over the nape of her neck.

A small moan rushed past his ear, as his fingers slowly moved down her back, taking the zipper with them. Her hands found their way under his shirt and up to his bare shoulders. Her feet stepped out of the dress after it pooled at her feet. Her arms then pulled him backwards with her towards her bedroom. His body almost too willing to enter the lion's den.

To be continued.


	21. Chapter 21

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 21

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: Another short chapter. Is anyone actually reading this?

He sat at his desk, studying a couple reports when the door opened.

"What are you doing son? An exciting new venture, something worthy of a captain of industry?"

He sat down the folders, and looked up, "I'm simply continuing where you left off, Dad. I, uh, can't talk now."

"Well, we better talk," he said as he walked towards the desk. "Genevieve Teague thinks you have the missing element. He shrugged, not understanding where his father was going. "The one from China."

"Come on, Dad. You've raised me to be smarter than that. Why use Genevieve Teague as a threat? Why not just come out and ask for it yourself?"

"I'm here as a father who's concerned about the safety of his son. She had Bridgette Crosby murdered because of one of those elements. You think she'd hesitate to do the same to you?"

Lex got up from his desk and started to make his way for the door. "I don't have it. And even if I did, I'd never trust you."

"Lex." The younger man stops. "We haven't a lot of time left to spend together. You can go on for the rest of your life being mistrustful of me, or you can accept me as your father who loves you." He lowered his eyes, doubting that fact. Then he gave one glance back to his father, and turned to leave. Lionel continued, "She's dangerous, Lex. She… Watch your back, son."

"I always do," was his answer as he left the room.

Lionel sighed. He knew that something else needed to be done to keep his family safe. Safe from what was happening with the women so involved with those stones. He took out his cell phone and started to make a call as he left the study.

The moonlight hit her naked back, making the tattoo stand out from her caramel colored skin. His fingertips lightly grazed over it, his mind turning over and over again. A few times he had almost suggested for her to try and get it removed. Especially since it wasn't something that she had wanted. But, he figured that if she wanted to, she would do it herself. It wasn't his place to try and force her into anything.

Jason laid there in the dark, looking at her. She was asleep. Completely dead to the word. Her face free from worry, or questions. Just peaceful slumber. He used to love to watch her sleep. But now… now he had so many questions. He wasn't awake to watch her. He was awake because he couldn't sleep. He couldn't rest.

Who had taken the stone? Where was the third one? What did they do? What would they do if someone had all three? He glanced at Lana again. Was he really sure that he wanted her to have all of them? Or would it be better if no one ever had all of them? And the small little nagging feeling he had about Clark was still there. He wanted to dismiss it as jealousy. But something told him not to discount Clark in all of this. Little facts, little tidbits from working at LuthorCorp kept popping into his mind.

He sighed lightly. Lana had been slightly different ever since they got back together after China. After I gave her that stone. His mind trailed off on that. Had the stone done something to her? But wouldn't it wear off once it was gone from her possession? Because he had it for a while, and it did nothing to him. His other hand fisted into the sheet. Why couldn't he figure this out?

She moved next to him. He stilled, not wanting to wake her. She rolled over and pressed herself up to his side, snuggling into his frame, and putting an arm on his chest. That made him feel better, as he wrapped an arm around her, nuzzled his nose into her hair, capturing her scent. His mind vowing to figure out what was happening if it was the last thing he did.

Lionel looked down at the bottle of wine in his hands. Reading the label, "It's a 1961 Bordeaux. I am honored." He handed the bottle back over to Genevieve.

She took the bottle and poured the liquid into the awaiting glasses, "Well I assume your visit at this late hour means I have… cause to celebrate."

"Don't all my visits deserve to be celebrated, Genevieve?"

"Some more than others."

"I used to be greeted with much more than a bottle of wine," he chuckled. She handed him his glass with a smile. He sniffed the glass, and then took a sip. "Mmm…"

Smiling seductively she asked, "Do you have something for me?"

"Yes. Information."

She blinked twice. "Information? I want the stone."

"Neither Lex, or I, have your stone."

She shook her head, "Lionel. I swear…" and then she smiled as he touched his throat uncomfortably.

"It's interesting the lengths we will go to, to get what we want." Lionel gasped and dropped his glass. It shattered against the floor. "No limits."

"What have you done?" he choked out as he fell to the floor, gasping and holding his throat.

Genevieve calmly put down her glass and walked towards him. "The wine you've just drunk will kill you in a matter of minutes. I'm told that the pain will be excruciating." Lionel looked up at her with anger in his hazel eyes.

"How about a trade? You give me that stone from China, and I give you…" she reached for the vial on her necklace, "… the antidote." He tried to grab it from her. "One more thing… you, Lex… ANYONE, get in my way of those stones, and this will be only the tip of the iceberg. Is that understood?" Lionel nodded. "Now, were is the stone? Where is that element?"

He couldn't talk, and clutched at his throat again.

She rolled her eyes and yelled, "Henry!" A moment later a very large man entered the room. Obviously a bodyguard. "Watch him. Don't let him do anything."

"Yes ma'am," was his only response as he moved and stood over the choking man.

Genevieve opened the vial and handed it to Lionel. He drank it quickly. The contents slowly seeped through his system. The bodyguard moved the older man onto the couch as she paced back and forth in front of him. "Okay, Lionel. Spill it."

He swallowed a few times. "I don't have it."

She turned in a rage on him, "Lionel!"

"That's the truth. And I truly believe that Lex doesn't either." He watched her fume in front of him. "Though you may not want to believe it. Jason did have it." Her eyes got wider. "He gave it to Lana."

"Doesn't he understand that she will try and kill all of us?"

"Lana won't. Isobel would." He rubbed his throat. "He's in love with her."

"That's it. I've been patient enough." She turned to the big guy, "Take him to the cabin. Watch him. If he escapes…" she didn't need to tell him what would happen.

Lionel was grabbed from the couch. "Genevieve, what are you going to do?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

"If it concerns my son it does."

"Since Lex doesn't have the stone, you have nothing to worry about."

"That's not the son I'm worried about!" he yelled as the man dragged him out of the door.

She tapped her perfectly manicured nails on the counter. "Jason my boy. You do not betray Mother."

To be continued.


	22. Chapter 22

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 22

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: I know it's short. Deal with it! ;)

He paced back and forth as he talked into his phone. The daylight streamed into the large windows of the study, as he went on, "LuthorCorp is the legal conservator of the cave. We can do any excavation work we want down there." Lex stopped in mid-stride when the door opened and Jason walked in. "I'll have to call you back." He hung up the phone, "I thought we'd concluded our business."

"Not exactly." He rubbed the back of his head, trying to think of exactly what he wanted to say. "Listen, let's just state it like it is. I don't like you or trust you. You don't like me or trust me. But there is one thing, though I hate to admit, we have in common."

Lex looked up at him and stated the obvious answer. "Lana."

He nodded slightly, "We both want her safe." He swallowed, "And… I'm worried about her."

That got Lex's immediate attention, "Why? What happened?"

"I'm not sure. She's… She's just…"

"She's what?"

"She's just not herself." He couldn't think of what else to say. "It's just this… feeling I get."

"Is she possessed again?"

"No…" then he stopped, and rubbed his forehead, "At least I don't think so."

Lex sat on the edge of his desk, "You don't THINK so?"

"Well, she's not throwing me around the room. She's basically acting like herself. It's the… little things."

Lex nodded, stood and walked around his desk to sit down in the chair, "Maybe there's just trouble in paradise."

Jason sighed, "Lex… something is wrong. But even if there isn't, she is still in danger. With those stones out there. With who knows who…"

He leaned over his desk, "As you said, I don't trust you."

"Fine. Yes. I took the stone in China. I gave it to Lana. I didn't trust you. With good reason since you were having me tortured." He rolled his eyes, "Which backfired I might add. Good going."

"I'm willing to do just about anything to get what I want and protect the people in my life that are close to me."

Jason leaned over Lex's desk and stared back at the man, "So… am… I."

Their eyes held in an old fashioned stare down. Neither would dare to break away. Finally a small smile came over Lex's face. "Then we have an understanding."

The corner of Jason's mouth curved upwards, "I guess we do." He took a seat in the chair opposite of the other man. "We know there are 3 stones. The one I gave to Lana was stolen." He sighed, "And as we both know now, my mother has another one of them." Lex knew instantly that Jason had figured out whom had truly killed Bridgette Crosby. "But who has the 3rd one? The same person that stole the one from Lana, or someone else."

"How do you know that your mother doesn't have the one from Lana?"

"She's not that good of an actress."

Lex nodded, "How do you know that my father or myself doesn't have it."

Jason laughed, "Same reason."

He leaned back in his chair and touched his fingertips together in thought. "Then who do you suppose has it?"

"Who else knows about those caves? Who else is interested in them?"

That caught Lex's attention. "Why?"

Jason's head tilted at his question. Lex seemed very interested in that. He must know something. "Well the same symbols are on those cave walls. It would seem that whomever is trying to get those stones, would also then know about the caves. Have some interest in them." He leaned forward, "Why, Lex? Do you know someone who is really interested in those caves?"

"I'm not sure."

"You're lying."

Lex gave him a hard look, "I said I wasn't sure."

"Who are you trying to protect?" Jason stood up, "Let me guess…Clark?" He saw the spark in the man's eyes. "What is this friendship you two have?"

"Clark has nothing…"

Jason cut him off. "Oh really. Really? Well… I may hate to admit this. And I would hate to admit it to Lana, because it stems from the fact that they used to go out. But I did a little research on Clark. Do you have any idea what I found?"

"Obviously you aren't that secure in your relationship with…"

Jason stopped him, and waved him off. "You can try and spin this anyway you want. But a few simple facts remain about farm boy."

"So why don't you enlighten me."

He leaned back over the desk, looking Lex square in the eye. He wanted to see what his words would do to the other man. "Well, we could start with the fact that those same symbols at once time were burned into the Kent barn and fields." He saw a small flicker. "Some high school prank. I doubt it." He continued. "Seems Clark also knows Bridgette Crosby." Another flicker. "But what I did find rather interesting, is that Clark has no record of ever being born."

With that Lex stood up, "That's enough."

"Again, Lex, I question. Why are you protecting him?" The other man paced back and forth. Jason pushed himself away from the desk. "Unless, you have more than just friendship with farm..." It would explain a lot.

Lex cut him off with a glare. "Clark is too naive too do anything underhanded."

"Unless he doesn't think it's underhanded. Unless he thinks he's doing the right thing." He knew what that was like.

"Do you honestly think that Clark would steal the stone from Lana?"

"I'm not sure. I don't trust him any more than I trust you."

Lex shook his head, "Is there anyone you do trust Jason?" But then he nodded, "Oh yes, Lana."

Jason almost laughed, almost. Because the question cut so close to home. That was the problem. He didn't trust anyone… even Lana.

To be continued.

Please review – Thank you!


	23. Chapter 23

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 23

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: Another short chapter. Oh, live with it. ;)

She giggled loudly. A sound that was annoying even to her own ears. The smile on his face however, showed that it was working. She looked up at him over her shoulder as he pointed at the book in front of her. "Now, Lana, you know Calculus. You shouldn't have any trouble with this."

She grinned wider, "Clark…" her hand went to his over the book. "Maybe I had… ulterior motives."

His one eyebrow went up, and his voice cracked, "And… those would be?"

Isobel blinked at him a few times for good measure, "To spend time with you."

He smiled and sat down next to her. "All you have to do is ask."

"I'll remember that." She looked over at the woman behind the counter. "Ummm… do you think we could get out of here?" She knew she had to get them away from his mother. And she doubted the woman would approve of Clark and her alone up in her apartment. There was no way she could get what she wanted from him, using the skills she knew, in front of her.

He caught her gaze and nodded. They gathered up their stuff, "We're gonna head to the library mom, I'll see ya later."

She smiled at the two of them, "Okay. Study hard."

Isobel had a hard time not rolling her eyes as they walked out of the Talon. He opened the door to his truck, and she slid in. Once he got in and started the engine she asked, "So, where are we going?"

"Where ever the lady wishes."

"Hmmmmm…" She actually knew where she wanted to go, but she wanted it to look like she was thinking. "Actually… if you wouldn't mind. Do you think you can get us in to look at that caves?"

Clark swallowed, "The caves? Why?"

"Well, with my tattoo and everything… The symbols… I just sometimes wonder if I am missing something. If the caves can answer it." She gave a soft smile to him, "Besides… there shouldn't be anyone else there."

"Okay," he said after a brief moment and they were on their way.

The door opened and she was about ready to ask what they forgot when she looked up. "Jason?"

He smiled, "Mrs. Kent." He responded before he started to make his way to the stairs.

She walked out from behind the counter, "Uhhh. Lana's not up there."

He stopped, "Oh. Do you know where she is?"

She tilted her head to the side, "Why?"

He gave her a strange look, "Because I wanted to see her."

"But… why?"

Jason walked over to the woman, "Do I have to have a reason to see my girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?"

Okay, he was really starting to get agitated at the questions this woman was giving him. He stopped right in front of her. And started to talk very slowly. "Yes. Lana. My girlfriend. I want to see her. Do you know where she is?"

She shook her head, and he almost thought she was saying she didn't know where she was. "Lana and you broke up."

That floored him. He blinked a few times, "Who the heck told you that?"

Martha looked at him in shock. By the question and tone of his voice he was honestly surprised by her question. "Lana did."

He took a step back from her. "She told you that? She told you we broke up?" He ran his hand though his hair, "When did she tell you that?"

"Almost a week before her and Clark went to Prom."

She stated it so matter of fact that he felt like the rug was literally ripped out from under him. He wanted to sit down. Martha saw the look and on his face, and quickly grabbed a chair and motioned for him to sit down. He took it, and then looked at her, but words would not come to his mouth, as questions swirled in his head.

"Obviously, this is a shock." She stated. He just nodded. Her motherly instinct was rising to the surface, and she rubbed his shoulder, not sure of what else to say or do for that matter.

After thinking a little bit, he looked at Martha. And for some reason, he felt like he could trust her. "Mrs. Kent?"

"Yes?"

"Would you actually listen to me for a minute?"

"Of course."

"Forgive me for being blunt, and to the point. But I think for everyone involved in this. It needs to be done."

"Everyone?"

"Me. Lana… Clark." She nodded in understanding, as he continued. "Can you tell me how it is possible for Lana to tell you and Clark that we broke up before Prom, and are still not together, when on Prom night, I stayed with her up in that very apartment." He said pointing at Lana's door. He saw he swallow at his statement, and knew she knew what he was implying. "And for that matter, that I woke up there this morning as well." If she didn't know before she definitely knew then. "Now… the Lana that YOU know. The Lana that Clark knows. And the Lana, that I feel in love with… would she do something like that, and then tell others we weren't together?"

Martha didn't know what to say. "That's not Lana." Her eyes got bigger at the implication in his words, "What are you saying?"

"What has Clark told you? What has he told you about the stones?" He knew he was going out on a limb, but he could feel like he was going in the right direction. And from the look in her eyes, he was right.

"Lana's possessed again," she stated.

He had been in denial the entire time. His body and soul had known. But his heart and his head didn't want to believe it. He closed his eyes and nodded his head. "I'm afraid so."

Her eyes got wide, "Oh my God."

"What?" he asked worried by the fear in her voice.

"They just left somewhere together. Lana… or whoever… and Clark."

Jason stood up quickly, "Where did they go?"

She shook her head, "They said they were going to the library…"

He wanted to laugh. "I doubt that." He doubted that very much. He quickly headed for the door, "Mrs. Kent… please, let me know if you hear anything."

"Of course!" she yelled after him as the door slammed shut. She looked around the empty coffee house. Her arms wrapped around herself. If Isobel was really back, no one was safe.

To be continued.

Please Review - Thank You


	24. Chapter 24

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 24

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: Another short chapter. But can you say… a lot going on? ;)

His wrists, legs and neck were killing him. His head drooped forward, and his body pulled on the ropes that kept him in the chair. His eyes flew open at the sound of the door slamming. His eyes locked with hers, "What have you done?"

"Nothing yet." She walked over to the man, "I haven't found him yet."

Lionel gave a soft smile, "What, he's not returning your calls?"

Genevieve slapped him hard across his face. "Don't mock me. You do remember that you are tied up, and at my will?"

"If I remember right, that is how you liked it before."

Her hand stopped right before she hit him again, and she turned away. "I don't have time for your games. You are just trying to anger me."

He sighed, "You do realize that Jason does not have the stone." She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "He might have had it, but he came after me and Lex, accusing us of stealing it from Lana. So, he doesn't have it. We don't have it. So either someone else took it, or…"

Her eyes widened, "She still has it."

Her hand reached out and touched the cold, hard surface. She felt like she had been there before, but couldn't remember how or why. Well, Lana had been there many times, but she felt like SHE had been there.

"Are you okay?"

She jumped at the question behind her, and gripped her purse more closely to her side. "Yeah… fine… just… I'm getting a weird feeling of déjà vu. Like… I've been here…" She stopped at realizing what she was saying, and from the strange look on his face. "I mean… I know I have been here, many times. But, it's like I've been here, and seen something, done something, that I can't remember."

He nodded, "Well of course. When you were possessed by Isobel. You don't remember what she did when she was controlling you. You ended up in these caves."

She nodded, her mind remembering that. And that was the problem, she didn't remember what happened in those caves as Isobel, as herself. But she knew, she could feel, that whatever happened was important. "Right," she agreed with him, and touched the wall again, her arm gripping her purse even tighter.

He pulled up to the barn, but he already knew the answer. Clark's truck was nowhere in sight. But he parked anyway, when he saw Lex walk out of the barn. Jason got out of the car, "So, I guess I'm not the only one looking for farm boy."

Lex walked over, "No, you're not. But can I ask why?"

"Lana's possessed again."

His eyes widened, "What? How do you know?"

"Let's just say, she is displaying very UN-Lana like qualities." He didn't go into it. Lex was on a need to know basis, and he didn't need to know everything. "And right now, she is with him. Or, should I say Isobel is with him."

"So both Clark and Lana are in danger now." Jason just nodded at Lex's statement. "Where would they go…" He started to ask, then both men said it together, "The caves."

They started back to their cars, "When we find them…" Jason started, "We can't let her know, that we know."

"Agreed." Lex got into his car.

Jason's cell phone rang as he got into his. He picked it up without thinking, "Yes?" He settled into the seat, and put the key in the ignition.

"Darling, why haven't you returned my calls?"

He rolled his eyes at the sound of his mother on the other end. "I've been busy." He ground out, as he started up the car, following Lex out of the farm.

"Too busy to talk to your own mother?"

"What do you want?"

"I want you safe."

"Safe?" He almost laughed.

"I don't trust her son. Lana…"

This had to end. It all had to end once and for all. "Fine. Stop. You want your precious stones?" He could hear the intake of breath over the phone. "Then come get them."

"What?"

"The Kawatche caves. You'll find them there. Now leave me alone." He said and hung up the phone. He threw the cell into the passenger seat, as his car got onto the main road. His mind raced as he gunned the engine trying to keep up with Lex. Everything was going to end now. He just hoped he could keep some control over the situation.

Her fingers tips traveled along the wall, and her eyes meet the same symbol that was on her back. Her eyes closed, and pictures seemed to snap behind her lids. A stone table. A hole in the cave wall. Her and two others around the… stone. Her eyes opened wide. It was here. The first stone was here. She clutched her purse tighter, she knew were two of them were. She just needed the last one.

"Lana…" He reached out for her shoulder, "ARE you okay?"

"I'm doing much better," she smiled at him.

She looked at her phone, still in shock over what she had been told. She calmly turned off her phone and walked over to the bookcase. Removing a few books.

Lionel watched her, "What did he say?"

She turned the knob around and around, stopping at the numbers here and there. She then opened the safe. Her hand reached in and brought out the third stone. She walked back over to her purse, placed it securely inside. She looked over at Lionel with a smile. "We have somewhere to go."

"We?"

She nodded with a wicked smile then screamed for her henchman, "Henry!" She looked back over at Lionel, "You're my insurance." Even though Jason was her son, she didn't trust him as much as he didn't trust her. But the possibility that he was telling the truth was just too much to pass up.

To be continued.

Please Review - Thank You


	25. Chapter 25

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 25

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: I THOUGHT I would be done by this one. I guess not! LOL

"So very interesting to find you two here."

Isobel and Clark spun around at the sound of Lex's voice. Her eyes went wide in slight shock and fear at seeing Jason walk in with him. Clark spoke up next to her, "We were just looking at the symbols. Seeing if maybe something could help Lana…"

Jason cut him off, "Really, Lana. Is that why you are really here with Clark?"

Clark took a step in front of her, "It's really none of your business." Isobel winched, knowing what was coming next.

"Really Clark?" He looked directly over his shoulder into the girl's eyes, "So, how long have you been dating the BOTH of us?"

Clarks eyes grew, and he quickly looked back at her, "What?"

Isobel wasn't sure what to do. She knew she had to diffuse the situation, but one of the men were going to lose. The question was, which one did she still need? She had got the first stone from Jason, and she knew where the one Clark had was. So who would help her get the third one? She looked at Jason, "I'm not dating Clark." She started to walk around Clark to him, "We just came here to look around. I thought you were at…"

He stopped her, "Don't try and play me Lana. I talked to Martha."

"Lana… what are you saying?" Clark asked in disbelief. "You told me that you and Jason broke up. You asked me to Prom."

Jason smiled, "Oh, and Clark, thanks by the way for bringing her back to her apartment that night. She told me that you all had went out as 'friends'." He kinda felt bad for the guy. But just barely. He kept his eyes on her, waiting, seeing what she would do now that she was being cornered. But he didn't have to wait long for things to escalate.

"Where are they!" The four turned to the scream of the bearer of the question. Genevieve pushed Lionel in the back towards the group. When no answer was forthcoming, she asked again, "Where are the stones?" She demanded looking at Lana. "I know you have them."

Isobel clutched her purse towards her subconsciously, "I don't know what you are talking about." Jason saw the movement, and in that instant realized she had set him up the whole time. She still had it.

"Don't play with me!" Genevieve screamed at the woman as she shoved Lionel towards Lex and the cave wall as she advanced on Lana. As she neared the other girl her own purse and that of Lana's started to hum.

Clark's hands immediately went to his head at the sound that assaulted his ears. With another step their bags started to shake, making it apparent to everyone there that both women each possessed one of the powerful stones.

Isobel smiled, now she had access to all three. A flash of purple floated through her eyes, she raised her hands, "Murus scinde!" Upon her yell, the cave wall started to part. The sound intensified as the stone behind the wall reacted to the others.

Seconds later, Clark collapsed to his knees from the pain. Lex saw him sink to the ground and moved towards him, trying to figure out what was wrong with him. "Clark… are you okay? What's wrong…"

With a smile Isobel turned back to Genevieve, the purple swirling behind dark eyes. The older woman pulled out a gun and pointed it back at her. Jason moved quickly between the two women, "You won't hurt Isobel, only Lana."

"If Lana's not around to house Isobel's soul, then Isobel will be gone too."

"Mother… stop this."

"She wants to kill all of us son. She wants to end the family line!"

He looked straight at her. "If you pull that trigger, you'll hit me, and effectively do the deed for her."

Her hand wavered slightly, and Lionel saw it. He took his chance and charged towards her, attempting to take the firearm from her. Her finger pulled the trigger as he hit her. Jason's arm move behind him, grabbing Lana's side as he fell to the ground trying to bring her with him. Lionel gripped onto the metal as they both fell to the rock. Another shot rang out as the two struggled for possession.

Isobel sat up from the ground, pushing Jason off of her by his now slick shoulder. She looked at her red stained hands as she got to her feet. Her slight shock from him saving her quickly washed away as she watched Lionel back up from Genevieve's limp body. A small smile played over her face as the knowledge that her vendetta was done. Now she only had one more thing to do. Her purple eyes moved to the discarded purse. Her red palms raised in the air.

"Lex… the purse!"

Isobel turned to the sound of the man she thought was dead, briefly. But it was enough time for both Lex and Lionel to get to their feet and grab Genevieve's bag. Just as Jason pulled the other stone from Isobel's purse she had left on the floor in her haste. Her eyes stormed in a purple rage at the two men, "Porta!" Electric energy zapped from her fingertips to throw the two men hard against the cave wall. Both fell to the ground unconscious. Thus losing their grip on the purse, the stone fell out and rolled onto the rock floor. Her eyes watched it roll into the hands of the man who saved her. She smiled at him, "Give them to me."

He slowly moved to his feet. Clutching the stones. His eyes scanned the room. Noticing Clark still struggling on his knees near the third stone on the rock table. His mind played events over and over. He swallowed, "If I give them to you, what will happen to Lana?" It was a question, but one that he already knew the answer too. And then if in understanding, he knew what he had to do. "Clark!" He yelled, grabbing the man's attention as he threw both of the stones to him.

Clark caught one in each hand, and struggled to get to his feet.

Isobel screamed, and then started to raise her hand to push the man from his feet once again, only to be shoved to the hard floor.

Clark quickly placed the two stones into the rock table with the first. Instantly a bright white light emanated from the joined pieces. It enveloped him as Isobel screamed and struggled against Jason, who had her pinned down. Just as quickly the bright light, the stones, and Clark disappeared and Isobel screamed again. But this time the purple energy ripped itself from her body, seeming to explode through her mouth, eyes and fingertips. Her body went limp. The cave wall moved back together, the walls sealing back up perfectly.

Jason looked around at the very still room, and then pulled Lana's body into his lap. His arms went around her. A grimace on his face from the pain in his shoulder. Her closed his eyes and rested his head against her hair.

Everything was white. His eyes could barely function from how blinding it was. His feet landed in a deep pile of snow, his brain taking in the mountaintops in the distance, as cold gusts of wind assaulted his body. The stones had joined into one, and floated up into the air in front of him. As if he knew what he had to do, his hand reached out and grabbed on to it. He threw it into the air. It traveled a large distance and then planted itself into the snow. The same bright light started to engulf the area as Clark watched on.

Soon Jason could hear the groan of one of the other men. He heard them stir, and then, "What happened?"

His eyes opened slowly, looking towards Lex, and he lied, "I have no idea. I just woke up."

He watched the other man get to his feet and move over to his mother. His eyes closed, already knowing her fate, even before the confirmation in words from the man washed over his ears.

Lex then moved over to his father. He found his pulse, and then turned back to the couple. "Where's Clark?"

Jason just shook his head. He really did not know where Clark had disappeared. But he now knew the other man's secret. At least enough to know that he could never tell Lex. Or Lionel. Or even Lana. And with the thought of her, he felt her move in his arms. He looked down to watch her eyes start to slowly flutter open. And with a very shaky voice she spoke, "Jason?"

He gave her a soft smile, "Yes. I'm right here."

She looked up at him with fear, "Tell me it was all a dream."

He swallowed hard, "What do you remember?"

"I'm not sure. Most of it's a blur," she started as she sat up, and then she saw the blood on her hands. Her eyes went wide, and then she saw the soaked sleeve. "Jason…" she said in a panic.

"I'm fine…" he started, but then his head started to spin. "Okay… maybe not… fine."

"I'll get an ambulance," Lex said as he opened up his cell phone and made his way out of the caves to call.

Lana looked around, her hand went to her head, as slight flashes of what happened played back to her. But she snapped back to reality when his body started to lean heavier against her. Her arms went around him. This time her body held and comforted his. She kissed the top of his forehead, her hand holding onto his. "They'll be here soon." She tried to tell him, but his eyes slipped shut, and his hand fell from hers. "Jason!" She screamed.

To be continued.

Please review – Thank you!


	26. Chapter 26

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 26

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: It's the fan fic that never ends… yes it goes on and on my friends… I started writing it not knowing where I'd go, and I'll continue writing it forever just because… it's the fan fic that never ends… yes… (you get the point. ;) ) AHHHH It better end at some point soon, or I'm going to go nuts! Maybe I already have!

The ambulance had come quickly. But she figured when Lex Luthor called, people did not hesitate. But still, it took too long in her opinion, she thought as she paced back and forth in the corridor of the hospital. They had whisked him away from her and into a room the second they got there. They had only been in there for a few moments, when a nurse rushed in with extra pints of blood.

She looked down at her still red stained hands. Her blood soaked clothes. Knowing that what was coving her was the reason for the nurse rushing inside. Her hands were trembling and she almost screamed when a hand was placed on her shoulder. She turned around quickly to see Lex standing there. "What's going on in there?" She asked him, knowing he didn't know. Two tears started to run down her face, followed by more, as her body began to shake.

He didn't say anything, but opened his arms, and she fell into them. Her body sobbing into his chest. She was confused. She had no idea what really happened. She saw flashes, images, but nothing concrete. The last few weeks, or was it months, were a big blur to her. And now this. All she knew was that he was lying in there, bleeding to death, because somehow, for some reason, he saved her life.

Lex held her as she continued to cry. He didn't know what to say to comfort her. He had no answers to give her. His eyes looked up at the doors that were closed to them. Behind those doors was the man that had saved Lana's life, maybe even more than just her. He looked over at another room. There was an older man, sitting on the side of the exam table with a doctor checking his vitals. He had questions for his father. His eyes glanced back to the double doors again. Many questions.

But one thing was for sure. No matter how much he hated to admit it. Jason had proven that he loved this girl, whom may be in his arms now, but was weeping for the man that saved her. He had shown he would do anything, make any sacrifice for her. Something even he, himself wasn't sure he could do. He rubbed her shoulders, "It'll be okay," he said softly.

She shook her head against his chest, "You don't know that." Lana looked up at him though the tears. "What's taking so long?"

He swallowed, "Maybe you can take it as a good sign that they are still in there." He tried to be hopeful for her. But he just wasn't so sure. Jason had been shot. While in the shoulder, it was pretty darn close to the heart, and from the amount of blood that was on his clothes, on Lana, and had been all over the cave floor… he had lost a lot. Not to mention the struggle he had with Isobel. "Maybe, they are just getting the bullet out, and trying to do some nice stitch work so they don't leave an ugly scar." He hoped for a smile, but the tears just started up again, and he pulled her back in for another hug.

It was her fault. That's all that she could think of. If it wasn't for the stones. If it wasn't for her getting possessed by Isobel. He wouldn't have had to go and save her. He wouldn't have had to go and gotten shot. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't be laying in there dying.

She barely heard the footsteps walk up from their side. "How is he?" came the overly concerned voice.

The two turned to Lionel, questions in their eyes. "Why do you care so much?" Lex asked.

The older man looked down, "He was a very brave man back there. It's called respect Lex."

His eyes narrowed as he looked at his father. He knew there was much more to it than that. "Exactly, how well did you know Genevieve Teague?"

"That is none of your business Lex."

"Oh, I think it is my business…"

He was cut of by Lana, "Please! You two can talk about this later." She turned back towards the doors, and threw up her hands, "Can't someone tell me what is going on?"

She felt a hand on her shoulder again, "Lana. Why don't you go get cleaned up."

She shook him off her. "Not until I know. I'm going to be here when they come out." And as if on cue the doors opened and a doctor walked out towards them. She could barely move the distance towards him as her eyes looked at the blood covering the green scrubs. "How is he?" her shaky voice managed. She could feel the presence of the two men right behind her.

The doctor took a breath, "Let's sit down."

Her eyes got wide, "NO! You will tell me now."

"Lana…" Lex said from behind her, and tried to pull her to the chairs.

"Tell me now!" She said shaking him off again and pleading with the doctor.

"It took us some time, but we found the bullet. It hit an artery, which took us some time to repair. He lost a lot of blood before he got here, and he was loosing it as quickly as we were putting it into him once here." He paused for a moment to catch his breath.

"How is he now?" She asked quietly.

"The bleeding has stopped. They are stitching him up now. We're giving him blood. We'll be then transferring him to recovery, and then to a room."

He wasn't answering her question, "HOW is he?" She saw the look the doctor gave the two men behind her, and she yelled, "Is he going to be okay?"

The doctor swallowed, "We don't know."

Lana's eyes got big, "What do you mean you don't know?"

"He's lost a lot of blood. His body went through a lot of stress. He's unconscious. If he gets through the next 24 hours then he should be okay."

"IF?" Her legs felt like they were going to give out from under her. "What do you mean if?"

Lex turned her around, "Lana… Lana, listen to me." He looked up at the doctor, and could tell the man wasn't sure what to tell her. He nodded to him, and the doctor turned and walked back down the hall. "Lana… Jason is young, and fit. He's pulled through before. He'll be okay."

She shook her head, she wasn't listening to any of this. "I want to see him."

"As soon as they put him in a room…"

She stomped her foot, "I want to see him NOW."

"Miss Lang," Lionel started from beside her, "the doctors are still with him. The nurses will be looking over him. He needs his rest. You will be able to see him when they are done."

Lex nodded, "The worst right now is over. Now it's just waiting." He looked at her clothes. "How about we find a nurse, and get you cleaned up. I'll send for some clothes."

Weakly she nodded and agreed. Soon a nurse led her into a room and gave her some toiletries and showed her how to turn on the shower. She pulled off her clothes and put them into the trash bag the nurse had left. Tears trickled down her face as she stepped into the hot spray of the shower. She let the water wash over her, as she leaned against the wall, her shoulders rocking with sobs as the water swirled red at her feet and down the drain.

She jumped at that the sound of a knock at the door, "Miss, are you okay?"

She blinked twice, trying to clear her head, as she realized that she had been in there a long time. Her fingers were prunes, and the water had long since run clear. "Yes. I'm fine." She said quickly as she turned off the water. She grabbed for the towel on the sink as her eyes glanced at the mirror. What she saw, or what she didn't see actually, got her full attention. She turned her naked form around to get a better look. Her hand traveled across her back as she looked over her shoulder into the mirror. The tattoo, the one she had received in Paris, was gone. She closed her eyes. Isobel was gone.

More tears streaked down her cheeks, as she got dressed from the clothes Lex had sent for her. Not only had Jason saved her from the bullet his mother had meant for her, he had also somehow vanquished Isobel from her body once and for all. Fully dressed she opened the bathroom door, and ventured into the hall. Lex walked slowly over to her with a cup of coffee.

She took it gratefully as he started to speak, "They are going to be moving him up to the fourth floor in just a little bit. Do you want to head up there?" She just nodded, and followed him to the elevators.

"She's gone." She said simply once they were inside, and then took a sip of the hot beverage.

"Who's gone?"

"Isobel." She took another sip. "I don't know how. But I'm back, and the tattoo… the tattoo is gone."

He starred at her for a moment, "Well, I'm glad." He wasn't sure what else to say about it. But it was good to know that Lana wasn't going to start flinging anyone around the room anymore.

She looked over at him, "Lex. I'm curious. Why are you still here?"

"What do you mean?" he asked as the doors opened and they walked out onto the fourth floor of the hospital.

"You can't be that worried about Jason…"

"Why am I here?" He thought about it for a minute. "Many reasons."

"Being?" she asked as they rounded the corner and walked to the nurse's station.

Lex caught sight of a nurse, "We were told that Jason Teague would be moved up here. Could you please let us know when we can see him?" The nurse nodded and the pair walked over to the waiting room. He then started to answer her, "One. You're clearly upset. So I want to be here for you. Two…" He looked over at his father who was there already seeming to read a magazine. "I am curious as to why my father is still here." He looked back at Lana. "And three… I have a new respect for Jason."

She nodded. "Thanks for being here." And she meant it. She couldn't do this alone. But then she heard voices in the hallway walking towards them.

"Once I got word that they were moving him to a room, I called Chloe."

She gave him a smile just as two girls found the room. "Lana… are you okay?" Chloe asked as she rushed to her and gave her a huge hug. Lois stood behind her. "I'm fine." More tears leaked from her eyes, "He's not, because I am."

The blonde shared a look with the bald man, and then turned back to look at her friend. "Lana. I'm sure he will be okay. He's strong. He'll beat this." Lana nodded and leaned back into her friends embrace.

They had finally brought Jason to his room and after letting the nurses get him situated they let her in to see him. The tubes, and the machines didn't freak her out as much as how pale he looked. She quietly pulled up a chair and sat down. Her eyes traveled over his still form, and her hand slowly reached for his. It felt slightly cool to the touch. It wasn't his usual warmth she noticed. Her other hand went to his forehead and smoothed back some of his hair from his face. "Jason…" She started, but her voice cracked. "Jason, I'm right here." She stood up for a second and leaned over him. She kissed his forehead. "I love you, and I'll be right here." She whispered into his ear and then sat back down. She rested her head on his uninjured side and waited. That's all she could do, was wait.

To be continued.

Please review – Thank you!


	27. Chapter 27

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 27

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: I swear. This thing just won't END! Oh well… I guess you guys are just going to have to continue on the ride with me. ;)

She could hear her name being called, but she struggled against it. She wanted to stay with her dream. Her dream was nice and happy. Reality was not. "Lana." It came again, and once more. "Lana… wake up."

She groaned, "What?" she finally asked and opened her eyes. Her head slowly rose from the firm chest under her, to meet the eyes of Chloe.

"You need to get out of here." She saw her friend about to object and continued with a wave of her hand, "Just for a little bit. Get something to eat. Stretch your legs."

She looked at Jason, and then back to Chloe, "What if he wakes up?"

She pulled Lana out of the chair. "They know where you will be, they'll find you. He'll understand. But you need to take care of yourself too. He would want you too. You've been here all night."

Lana sighed, as she was being dragged out of the room, "But he can't be alone."

"Don't worry Miss Lang, he won't be." Came the reply at the door.

Lana looked up, "Lionel? What are you doing here?"

Chloe looked from him back to her friend, "Lionel's been in the waiting room all night. He actually volunteered to wait with Jason while we get something nutritional into you."

"Oh kay…" Lana said and left through the door with a few backwards glances at the room. She watched the older man walk inside and take a seat by the bed. His mouth moving as if talking to the still form laying there. She turned back to Chloe, "Now that… that is strange."

Chloe nodded, "Tell me about it." They started to walk towards the cafeteria. "Lex was here as well. On the pay phone for most of the night. Talking to people. Having the cave checked out. Looking for Clark." She paused.

Lana stopped, and turned to her in the middle of the hallway. "Clark? He hasn't shown up yet?" Chloe shook her head. Lana was in shock. He usually turned up after something happened, relatively soon. She realized she hadn't even thought of Clark until just that second. "I'm sorry… I've been…"

Chloe patted her shoulder, "Lana, you've been preoccupied, don't feel bad. Lois is looking into it, trying to help Lex find him. Find out what happened down there." They continued walking and entered the dining hall. They each took a tray, and in a daze Lana seemed to get some food and drink and make her way to a table. The blonde sat down across from her. "Do you remember anything that happened down there? Anything after Lex and Lionel got knocked out?"

Her brain tried to remember, but it was all so hazy. "Yes. No. I'm not sure." She admitted as she took a bite of her scrambled eggs. She looked up at her, "What do you know?"

"Lex and Lionel told me and Lois what they knew. And they told the police what they needed to know for Genevieve." Lana looked down at that name. She wondered how that would affect Jason once he woke up. She wasn't entirely sure if he knew his mother was dead or not. An image of her shooting a gun at the two of them flashed through her mind and she jumped. Chloe immediately reached out her hand for hers, "Are you okay?"

"Flashback," she replied, "I keep getting them."

"Understandable."

"She's gone you know."

"Who is? Genevieve?"

Lana shook her head, "No. Well, yes. But… I meant… Isobel. She's gone."

Chloe nodded, "We know. Lex told us. I'm very glad to hear that." She watched the other girl poke at her food with her fork. "Let me guess. You're not hungry."

"You guess right. My brain… It can only think about two things. Jason, and what the hell happened down there."

"Well, until Clark either comes back, or Jason wakes up. All we are going to have is questions."

She sighed, "And that is if they can even answer them." But she wondered if they could, would they?

The two girls returned to the room to only catch the tail end of the conversation that was totally one sided. "A father would be very proud of what you did."

"I'm sure he will be," Lana said as she walked into the room.

Lionel stood up immediately, "Miss Lang. Miss Sullivan. You weren't gone that long."

"Wasn't that hungry." She admitted, and he nodded in understanding. "How is he?" she motioned at Jason as she walked over to him, and Lionel moved out of her way. She took his hand back into hers.

"Same."

She sat down, and let out a small sigh. "Did the doctors or nurses…"

"They haven't been in yet. Rounds will be soon." She nodded at his response. "I'll be out with Lex." He said and walked out of the room.

Chloe watched him go, and then turned back to Lana, "Very strange."

"You know… we should probably contact Jason's father. But I'm not sure how. I only know he's some big time lawyer in a Metropolis law firm."

"I'm on it." Chloe said and turned on her heal and headed out the door.

Lana gave a soft smile to the fleeting girl and then turned her attention back to the man lying in the bed. "Now what are we going to do with you?" she asked, not really expecting an answer, and was not surprised when she didn't get one.

Chloe looked at the phone in her hand in absolute shock. "You have to be kidding me." She said to no one in particular.

"What?" asked Lois walking over to her at the pay phone in the waiting area.

"He's not coming." She blinked and looked up at the other woman.

"Who's not coming?" Lex asked walking over as well.

All three of them turned around at the voice sitting on the other side of the room. "William Henry Teague."

"How did you know?"

Lionel leaned back in his chair and answered the girl, "Quite easy Miss Sullivan. Bill Teague could care less about Jason or his mother for that matter."

"But… Jason is his son." Lois stated.

"Jason stopped being his son when he cut him off. Cut them both off from the family a couple years ago."

Lex gave his father a hard look, "Why did he cut them off?"

"Genevieve was the culprit. Exactly why was never confirmed."

Chloe shook her head, it didn't make much sense. "But, why cut off his son? From what I know, Jason and his mother didn't get along."

Lionel sat up and rested his elbows on his knees, "Oh, they don't. Or they didn't, now that she's dead. She was always trying to control his life."

"You seem to know a lot about Jason, Mr. Luthor," Lois pointed out.

He sat up straight, "The rich and powerful are a very close, tight knit, back stabbing bunch. Gossip is very easy to come by Miss Lane."

Chloe sighed and she looked to Lois, "What are we going to tell Lana? Jason's basically an orphan. I doubt his student insurance is going to pay for all this. And unless his mother left him everything in her will…"

"There will be no worries. I'm sure Lex and I will arrange the finances, given everything that occurred."

"Mr. Luthor. Not that they won't be grateful, or that we aren't. But why are you… why are you…" Lois wasn't sure what to ask.

"Why are you so concerned about Jason Teague?" Lex finished for her. "What is this preoccupation you have with him? Have had with him. You gave him that map. You helped him go to China…" He walked over to the older man, "What is going on?"

Lionel looked up at his son, and then through the doorway towards the other room that housed his other one. He closed his eyes, "It's not something I'm very proud of Lex. Even though I am proud of the outcome."

Lex followed the eyes of his father, and then back… "Dad…"

"There is a very good reason that Bill Teague cut Jason and Genevieve off from the family. The very reason he won't visit Jason. He doesn't need to." He closed his eyes, "Jason's father is already here."

"Why didn't you tell me," Lex ground out at the realization.

"No one was supposed to know. That's how she wanted it."

"Then how did he find out?" Chloe asked, her reporter's skills coming into play.

"Seems Jason got hurt playing football awhile ago, and while in the hospital… Let's just say, the blood work just didn't match."

"So Jason knows…"

Lionel shook his head, "No. Jason has no clue."

Lois shook her head, "Oh boy is he going to have a lot to go through when and if he wakes up."

"When, Miss Lane. When." He stood up, "Luthor men do not give up without a fight."

"I have to get out of here," Lex said and quickly exited the room.

"Lex! Wait!" Lionel shouted after him, but let him go. He turned to the two girls, "Genevieve kept me from being a father to Jason for a long time. Now that she is gone. I'll be there for him. Just like I will be for Lex. That is, if either of them can come to terms with it."

The girls were at a loss for words. The only thing that Chloe could think of right the was what Lana would think when she found out that she was in love with a Luthor.

To be continued.

Please review – Thank you!


	28. Chapter 28

TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 28

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)

SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'

SPOILERS: Everything!

DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.

FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)

DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!

RANT: Wow, a LONG chapter!

Chloe had pulled her out into the hallway only a few minutes ago, and she had tried not to leave his room. But the girl had demanded what she was going to say, couldn't be said in there with Jason. She wasn't sure if he could hear them or not. That had peeked her curiosity, but what she was told shocked her. As she stood looking back in the room at him lying in bed, she wasn't sure what to do.

Her feelings for one had not changed. She couldn't blame him for something he, himself didn't even know. He hadn't grown up a Luthor, so that didn't mean he would turn out like one. But… he had grown up a Teague. Was that any better? She shook the thought aside. No, Jason was his own person. He had displayed that remarkably well. She sighed. What was he going to do when he found out? How was she going to tell him? Should she? Or should Lionel?

Lana took a deep breath and walked back inside the hospital room and sat back down in the chair she had become accustomed too. Her fingertips brushed the hair from his face. She wanted to tell herself he was just sleeping, but he hadn't moved at all. She knew he moved, at least a little bit in his sleep. He usually sleeps on his side… with an arm around me. A brief smile came to her face, and then it vanished for two reasons. One, because she missed it, and was worried it wouldn't be there again. And two… she realized, that some more memories of Isobel's were coming back to her. A few of those nights, she wasn't herself, she was Isobel.

She swallowed, and closed her eyes. He thought it was you. She told herself. There was nothing wrong with what he did. He thought it was you. It was Isobel who took advantage of both of you. She gripped his hand tighter.

Then a few excited but trying to stay hushed voices came from the hallway. Hearing it move closer, she stood up, kissed his forehead and told him she would be right back. She walked quickly to the doorway and looked out, shocked to see who was standing there with Chloe and Lois.

"What happened?" She asked and the three turned around to her.

"Lana. Thank God you're okay." Clark said as they walked towards her. He was about to reach out and hug her, but her eyes looked back into the room, and he caught her gaze towards Jason. He stopped. "How is he?"

"Stable," she replied and then looked back up at him. "What happened to you?"

"He was just starting to tell us when you came out," Lois started, "Something about a cornfield?"

Lana noticed Chloe biting her lip, but dismissed it as Clark started to explain what 'happened.' When he was finished, she just looked at him for a few moments in slight disbelief. "So, let me get this straight. Isobel knocked Lex and Lionel out when she tried to get the stone from Genevieve. But somehow Jason got the one Isobel took, and his mothers, and threw them to you… to join with the one that Isobel must have hidden there before when we were in the caves?"

Clark swallowed and nodded. It was sort of true. Then she continued, "And then when you joined them together, there was a bright light, and the next thing you know you are waking up in the same cornfield where the symbols were burned into awhile ago."

Chloe looked from the questioning face of Lana to the troubled face of Clark, and she interrupted, "Ummm… well… it kinda makes sense. The stones must have done those symbols before in the field. Once joined they must have somehow transported him back to that spot."

Lana nodded slowly at her friend, wondering why she was so quick to help Clark with his story. Something just seemed off. "So, I guess when the stones were joined by someone other than Isobel, her quest was ruined and she left me." It sort of made sense. "But, I thought they were supposed to be all powerful. What happened to it? To them?"

"That's a very good question," came a voice behind them. They turned to see Lex walk over, "I've had my men look through those caves. They finally blasted the wall off the secret room, and found the same stone table. But the stones are gone. What happened to them?"

Clark shook his head, "I don't know. I just know I woke up out there a few hours ago."

"Very convenient to have lost what was considered to be a very powerful tool or weapon."

"Lex. I really don't know what happened to them." That was true. He didn't understand what happened to them. He just knew that he didn't wake up in a cornfield. But he wasn't about to tell Lex that. He looked into Jason's room. Wondering just what he would remember and say when he woke up. If he woke up.

He looked back at Lana, "So, I take it that Isobel is…"

"Gone," she finished for him. "And before you say anything. Whatever she did… I'm sorry. Or it wasn't me. Or…"

He nodded. "I understand," he said simply. His vision of that perfect prom night, a distant yet now almost painful memory. He looked back in the room, and then back to the brunette. His shoulders slightly slumped as he realized he was totally giving up, giving in. "He's a good man Lana. I'm sure he'll be just fine."

She gave a soft smile, and understood what he was telling her. "Thank you Clark." She patted him on the shoulder and then walked back in the room to continue to wait.

Clark felt a soft pat on his shoulder, "Come on Farm boy. Let's go see if you need any medical help after being knocked unconscious in a cornfield…"

"Lois… I'm fine."

Chloe smiled, "Better not to protest Clark. Every 'normal' person would need to be checked out." He gave her a strange look as the three walked down the corridor.

She flicked through the channels trying to find something to put the TV on. She rolled her eyes at everything that came up. Two angst driven, too fast talking women. CLICK. An angst driven household with a ton of kids who have everything end up perfect in the end of each episode. CLICK. Angst driven High School drama that focuses mostly on sex and basketball. CLICK. "Ugh… isn't there anything on that doesn't make you wanna throw up?"

"Sports," came a very crackly voice from beside her. She dropped the remote and her head turned quickly. An "Oww," was issued when the plastic hit the person's leg.

"Jason!" she yelled, quickly moving to her feet, and touching the side of his face. "You're awake."

He squinted up at her. Boy did the room seem out of focus, and God… what a headache. "Could you…" he coughed and then winced from the pain in his chest and shoulder, "not yell?" He finally finished.

She almost wanted to hit him for trying to be funny. But she was too relieved to do anything but… kiss him. Her lips planted firmly against his, and she felt his one hand at the back of her head, and she smiled into the kiss. Her heart swelled. She felt alive again. She pulled away, "You're okay." Then when she got some of her senses back, she pressed the nurses call button.

He blinked a few times, and tried to move. But her arms came out, stopping him. "Don't move. Not until the doctor looks at you." He gave her a questioning look. "What's the last thing you remember?" She asked, just as the nurse walked into the room.

The woman smiled, "He's awake. I'll go get the doctor." She turned and left quickly.

His brow wrinkled as his brain tried to remember. "I was holding you… Or you me… or each other…" She nodded. "I was… very sleepy."

"You had been shot."

"Oh yes… well…" He closed his eyes, the room's lighting still a little to bright. "That was before then."

She wanted to strangle him for how casually he seemed to take that. "Jason, you were shot!"

He clenched his teeth. "Yes. I know." He moved uncomfortably, and then opened his eyes to see her concerned dark ones. "Yes, by my mother."

She looked down, "I'm sorry."

He gave her a strange look, "For what?" He honestly couldn't fathom why she should be sorry.

She swallowed hard, and tried to look him in the eye. "If it wasn't for Isobel. None of this would have happened."

He shook his head, and then wished he hadn't. He was about to say more when the doctor and nurse came back in. "Oh good. Glad to have you back in the land of the living Mr. Teague. You gave us quite a scare." He turned to Lana. "Miss, if you would give us just a minute to…"

Jason smiled, "Doctor. If it's okay with you and her… I don't mind if she stays." She gave him a soft smile, and the doctor looked back and forth between the two of them. Okay then." With that he pulled the curtain around the four of them to hind the exam away from anyone who might walk by.

A few minutes later the doctor pulled the curtain back. "Well, now that you are awake. Just a couple more days here, and we should be able to let you go. You will need to take it easy for awhile. And you'll need some physical therapy for the shoulder."

He just nodded at the man, he knew with his knee injury all about that. "Okay doc. Just get me out of here as soon as possible." He hated hospitals. But then again, did anyone like them?

"Jason… you need to…"

The doctor stopped her. "No. It's okay. Actually, he's been healing nicely while he was sleeping. Fresh air, and a familiar environment will be much better for him then keeping him in here." He turned back to Jason. "I'm sure that you have some family that you can stay…"

Lana then cut him off, "He can stay with me." She didn't want to go into anything further about family arrangements right then.

The doctor nodded, and then turned with the nurse to walk out the door. "Good. I'll be back later with rounds to check on you."

She turned back to him and smiled, her hand trailing over the side of his face, and he leaned into it. "Oh I missed those eyes."

His hand reached for hers and pulled her slowly to him, but stopped when she was just a few inches from her face. His eyes looked into hers. Looking, searching. And then in an instant, she knew what he was doing. She pulled away and stood up, "She's gone." She turned around and raised the back of her shirt, showing off the bare skin of her back. "For good."

Jason's hand reached out and touched the skin of her tattoo free back. He closed his eyes, as she turned back around, taking his hand back into hers. His eyes opened slowly, "Lana… I didn't know."

"I know. It's okay. Really. I understand."

He shook his head, "No. You don't. I mean… I didn't know. But… I did know."

She looked at him like he had lost his mind. "What?"

He pulled on her hand, and she sat on the end of his bed. "I didn't know that Isobel had possessed you. A couple of times, I thought maybe… but I dismissed it. But part of me… part of me just knew it wasn't you." He shook his head. Why didn't he listen to that part. "I should have been more vocal about my doubts. I should have…"

She tilted her head and looked at him, "You knew?"

"She just… wasn't you." That was the only way he could describe it.

Lana smiled, "Good to know." With that she leaned down and put her head on his good side. Her arms wrapped around him lightly, hugging him.

He grinned, and kissed the top of her head. And then he remembered what she had said before. "But Lana…"

"Yeah," came her soft voice, as she snuggled her face into his chest, not wanting to let go, for fear that she would wake up.

"What you said before. You have no reason to be sorry."

Her head moved up, and she looked into the his dark green depths, "But I…"

His finger settled on her lips, silencing her. "If I actually remember correctly. If it wasn't for my mother, Isobel would never have been a part of you." He looked down for a minute. "I guess we don't have to worry about my mother, or Isobel trying to ruin our lives again."

With that, she knew he knew about his mother's death. "Sorry." And she was. Not that she was sorry, but she felt sorry for what he was going through. She didn't know how he would feel about that. About the whole situation.

His gaze drifted back to her, and he took a deep breath. "I'm okay. Or at least, I will be." He shook his head, "I mean… what are you supposed to think when your own mother tries to kill you and the woman you love?"

She let herself smile at the last few words of his statement. Glad to know he still felt that way after everything. But then again, she was pretty sure of it. You don't usually risk your own life for someone you have lukewarm feelings for. She knew he wasn't waiting for an answer, so she settled back into the hug, just happy when he moved his good arm around her. It made her feel happy and safe again.

But a few seconds later that moment was interrupted by a coughing sound from the door. "Sorry to interrupt…"

Lana smiled, "Lois…" she turned, "Chloe… Clark…"

Jason's eyes widened, "Lionel?"

Everyone else looked uneasy at each other. Clark had obviously been filled in, by whom Lana wasn't sure. And she wasn't surprised to find the new half-brother was nowhere to be seen. Lana looked squarely at the older man, "I don't know if NOW is the time."

Jason looked from Lana, to the man in question, and saw him look at the floor. "What is going on?" He knew immediately that something was up.

"We were just told that he was awake. And we wanted to see for ourselves," Chloe chimed in.

Jason could understand that from the other three, but not the one that seemed to not want to look at him. But then his eyes also moved towards Clark, and he swore he could see a million questions behind the almost blank face. He knew he could deal with that later. So he turned back to the more pressing issue. He put a hand to his aching head, and then focused back on Lionel. "Luthor. What are you doing here? You can't tell me that Lex sent you on his behalf to check on the welfare of his ex-employee."

Hazel eyes finally looked up into the ones already staring at him. "No Lex did not send me. He actually should be here as well."

"Lionel, I don't think now…" Jason squeezed her hand, and she turned to him, "You need to rest. To relax."

"Lana. Now that I KNOW that something is going on, I'm not going to relax until I know what it is."

She sighed, "It will just upset you."

He turned from her to the others, "Will someone tell me what the Hell is going on. Since it seems like I am the only one in this room that doesn't know." A million thoughts were starting to run through his head. What was wrong? Was there something wrong with him? Did he do something he didn't know about?

Lana sighed, and she looked back at the older man. "Do you have enough courage to tell him now, or should I?"

He took a few steps closer to the bed, trying to figure out what to say. It was almost comical. How to say, I'm your father, without it coming out like he was Darth Vader talking to Luke Skywalker. Because he did realize, that to Jason, that's exactly how it would seem. His despise for the Luthors was never hidden.

"Jason. There is a very good reason that your mother helped me to get out of prison. There is also a good reason that your father disowned the both of you a few years ago." He stopped and waited.

He laid there, listening to the words. But he did not like the conclusions that his brain was drawing. He shook his head. "No. Don't." Lionel had alluded to some straying on his mother's part before. But this… this was too much.

"Son I can…" and then he realized what he said.

Jason stopped him, his eyes shutting, trying to make his ears not hear the words. "Don't EVER call me that." He ground out.

Lana looked at him, and for a brief second, a small amount of fear ran through her. His jaw was clenched tight. His fingers gripped hers fiercely, as if holding on for dear life, and then she breathed, understanding. He was drawing strength from her, and she squeezed back, letting him know she knew and was okay with it.

He continued. "Listen to me. My mother is gone. My father decided to be gone a while ago. And you… you were never there… and you never will be."

"Jason… I was never allowed to be."

He closed his eyes not trying to hear him. "Don't tell me Lionel Luthor wasn't allowed to do something." He opened them again, "The Luthors ALWAYS do what they want." He gave half a smile, "And since you are telling me that I am one of you. Then I'm doing what I want. I want NOTHING to do with you. Do I make myself clear?"

Lionel set his jaw hard, much like the man in the bed. "Crystal," he said and started out of the room. "Glad you'll be okay." Was the last thing he said as he exited the door.

It was dead quiet for awhile, and Lana looked around. "Okay, guys… out. He needs to rest…"

Jason shook his head, "No. Not yet."

"But Jason…"

"Hey… I've been asleep for…" He stopped, he actually had no clue. "How long?"

"Almost two days," she finally answered.

He wasn't sure what to think about that. He wasn't sure what to think about a lot of things right then. The only thing that gave him comfort was the fact that Lana was still there, and still holding his hand. Letting him know that everything would be okay. He continued, "As I was saying… I've been asleep for 2 days. I think it's okay to talk a little. Besides, I'm very curious as to what happened."

"Well Clark told us what happened after Lex and Lionel were knocked unconscious. We got the story of what happened before that from them," Chloe chimed in.

Jason looked to Clark, "What happened to you?"

Clark looked right at Jason and took a deep breath, and then told him what he had told the others. He listened to every word, and then… "A cornfield?" Clark just nodded.

Lana turned to Jason. "Do you remember any of that?"

"Well… I remember the bright flash of light and Clark disappearing right when I was struggling with Isobel. She was screaming, and that purple energy basically ripped from her… from you." He said looking at Lana. "Then everything just… just stopped."

"Stopped?" Lois questioned.

"Lana passed out. Clark was gone. The wall closed up. A few seconds later, Lex woke up. Checked on my mother… then his father." Lana noticed the tone in his voice on both those statements, but didn't say anything. "Then Lana woke up, and I started feeling… dizzy."

"Lack of blood to the brain will do that," Lois chimed in again.

He rubbed his head, "Tell me about it."

"How did you know that if someone besides Isobel joined the stones, that it would release Lana?" Chloe asked him.

He looked right at Clark, his eyes letting him know he knew a lot more than he was saying. "I didn't. I just knew that she couldn't have them."

Lana smiled at his reasoning, and then she stood up. "Okay, I'm ruining the party. Everyone out. She moved over to them, and started shoving them out the door. You can come back tomorrow, or when he comes home to see him." Reluctantly they left. But not before more silent communication seemed to run between the two men.

He smiled as she shut the door and walked back to him. "So, why so quick to get me alone?"

She laughed, "Mr. Teague… the doctor told you to rest."

"He also told me I was going to need regular physical therapy." His arm reached out for her, and he pulled her back down onto the bed, and she giggled. "I can't think of a better nurse."

She gave a contented sigh as she leaned against him. "Okay. So now what?"

"Huh?" he asked as he leaned back and relaxed with his eyes closed.

"Well. The stones are gone. Isobel is gone. Your mother…" she paused, "Is not an issue. So… now what?"

Jason gave a soft laugh, and opened his eyes. He pulled her down to him, kissed her softly, pulling away only slightly to ask "How about… Happily Ever After?"

Lana smiled, "I think I like that idea," and with that she leaned down and kissed him back.

THE END!

Okay. That's it. I throw in the towel. ;-) Yes, I know, there is still a TON I could write. I could go on about Lionel and Lex. I could go on and on about what he knows about Clark. I could go on and on in a million different directions. But… I would rather just leave it here, and let you use your imagination and decide where to go with it. It was fun, and I hope you all enjoyed it! Now… Go watch Supernatural. J

Please review – Thank you!


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